Sustainable Fairfax

Bringing people together to support a vital environment and thriving community

year in review

Looking Back – Sustainable Fairfax 2014 Accomplishments

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2014 was a great year for our organization. We made progress on a lot of fronts, and could not have done it without our partners, members, volunteers, and sponsors. We are honored by the support and input we have received from our community, which made our accomplishments possible!

Over the last year, Sustainable Fairfax was successful in bringing important programs and events to the community including:

  • Film & Lecture Series – we hosted five film & speaker events, attended by over 250 people
  • Take Back Day – 5 tons of materials were collected and diverted from landfill
  • Fairfax Craft Faire – this zero waste event supports our local economy by featuring goods from local artisans and crafts people
  • Fairfax Festival/EcoFest – we provided zero waste education and coordinated the collection of recycling and compost
  • Streets for People – a rare opportunity for hundreds of community members and local businesses to connect and enjoy our town without cars
  • Free Backyard Composting Workshops – educating over 70 people on backyard composting techniques and turn household scraps into garden gold
  • Backyard Beekeeping Workshops – workshops on sustainable hive management to encourage and support backyard beekeeping
  • Water Stewardship Panel – an educational event on water conservation techniques attended by 50 people (part of our “Go Blue! Take Action on Water” program)
  • Fairfax History Talk – this wonderful talk by local culture expert Rebecca Burgess of Fibershed was attended by 60 people
  • Rainwater catchment Bicycle Tour – a bicycle tour of local homes and businesses to learn about home rainwater catchment techniques including rainwater harvesting and greywater systems (part of our “Go Blue! Take Action on Water” program)
  • Sustainable Garden at the Women’s Club – an educational garden demonstrating the use of natives and low-water plants in the home-scale garden, designed and implemented by Sustainable Fairfax volunteers as a gift to the Town.
  • Community Council events – a new monthly program that provides the time and space for community members to discuss matters relating to sustainability in a quiet and supportive circle led by two experienced facilitators

Thank you for a great 2014. We hope you join us for an awesome year of new initiatives and progress in 2015!

2013 Year in Review

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As we bid the old year farewell and ring in the new, Sustainable Fairfax thanks you all for your continuing care and support.
We are grateful to our supporters, volunteers, members, and donors for making 2013 a fun and productive time for our organization. Even as we weathered the challenges of establishing a new office and finding a new space for a Permaculture-based Sustainable Garden at the Fairfax Women’s Club, we moved forward with the goal of Zero waste in Fairfax by 2020.

You will see highlights from our past year described below. These and other activities raise the awareness of sustainable living for our policy makers, businesses, and residents.

Thank you for your continued support. Your voices, participation, and financial support are the fuel we run on! 2014 promises to be a great year, with a big push on Zero Waste, continuation of our film series in January, and new challenges to tackle!
Please consider supporting us with a year end tax deductible donation or by volunteering for our events.

Education (including over twenty community events):

  • Continued to co-host our popular environmental film nights and screened ten films with help from the Fairfax Volunteers.
  • Hosted the first volunteer garden party at the Women’s Club to educate the public about Sustainable Fairfax and share volunteer opportunities.
  • Organized and led the first Tour de Cluck, a bicycle tour of backyard chicken raising and permaculture gardens in San Anselmo and Fairfax.
  • Hosted two beekeeping workshops with Bonnie Bees, Inc., educating over one-hundred people in the community.
  • Offered a free backyard composting workshop led by a Marin Master Gardener
  • Provided community information, zero waste tips, and green tips through our newsletter and blogs.

Zero Waste

Zero Waste efforts are in full swing. As 2020 nears we are accelerating our efforts in 2014, so be prepared to talk trash! Our successes in 2013 include:

  • Co-hosted the first Take Back Day (April 27) with the Town of Fairfax and MSS
    • Over 200 people utilized the drop-off station
    • Three and three-quarter tons of resources were diverted from the landfill
    • With the DEA, Fairfax co-hosted the first prescription drug take back program diverting over 98 pounds from the landfill and water system
  • Provided and staffed zero waste stations for these town events: Fairfax Festival, Streets for People, The Annual Fairfax Picnic, and the Fairfax Craft Faire, and came close to our goal of 98 percent landfill diversion.
  • Purchased and installed recycling stations for the town’s public buildings.
  • Worked with the Town of Fairfax and the Fairfax and Conservation Corps North Bay (CCNB) to help divert 7,985 lbs of resources from the landfill.
  • Conducted research and outreach on commercial recycling needs through a survey in our newsletter and in the San Anselmo Patch to gauge public interest and provide businesses with the data necessary to implement recycling systems.
  • In November we went on our first door-to-door residential green waste campaign and  surveyed Fairfax residents on their composting habits to identify educational opportunities. Of those surveyed, most either composted at home and/or used their green bins for household food waste.

Streets for People

Sustainable Fairfax provides leadership and organizational expertise in creating the Second Annual Streets for People. We partnered with the Town of Fairfax and the Chamber of Commerce to create a well attended (over 1,000 people!) community event. This annual event helps raise the visibility of local businesses, while building our community with a day of fun for everyone. It includes:

  • An outstanding display of talent at the Teen/Youth Music Showcase
  • Free classes by local yoga and dance studios
  • Bicycle fun course for kids
  • Painting a traffic-calming mandala

Advocacy

As always, Sustainable Fairfax continues to maintain a strong voice on community issues including:

  • Collaborated with Good Earth Natural Foods to screen Queen of the Sun, a documentary about the difficulties bees are facing, followed by a talk with a bee advocate from Pesticide Action Network (PAN).
  • Responsible approaches for weed abatement that keep pesticides out of our water supply.
  • GMO labeling and support of sustainable farming practices.

 

Thanks To Our Partners and Collaborators

We are grateful for and to our collaborators, partnerships, sponsors, and community people who join with us to make and keep Fairfax a livable and vibrant community:

 

Avatar, CittaSlow International, CittaSlow USA, Coffee Roasters, CVNL, Earthsite.net,Environmental Forum of Marin, FairBuck, Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, Fairfax FOCAS, Fairfax Lumber, Fairfax MOMS, Fairfax Scoop, Fairfax Town Council, Good Earth, Iron Springs, Marin Clean Energy, Marin Sanitary Services, Mental Insight Foundation, MOMAS, Permaculture Marin, Rose Foundation, Sleeping Lady, Sustainable Marin, TEAM Tamiscal, Town of Fairfax, Transition Town USA.