Does the price of groceries have you thinking about planting your own vegetable garden? Are you wishing you knew how to keep your lawn mower or chainsaw in tip-top shape? Do you love cooking with those fancy mushrooms they sell in the produce aisle but don’t love the price tag? Maybe you’re interested in knowing how to make your own mozzarella cheese or sourdough bread?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Green Skills Sampler is for you.
Looking for ways to build resilience in our community, a group of sustainability-minded organizations have come together to bring back the popular Green Skills Sampler from years gone by. This day-long event to be held on Saturday, Feb. 1 will link participants with instructors who have hands-on, real-world experience with the skills they are teaching. The skills themselves are easy-to-learn, practical, and contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle. You can learn more and register at https://bit.ly/4im6Lsm.
Speaking of sustainability skills, I think sewing and mending are highly underrated. Sewing skills provide ample opportunities for being kind to the environment as well as your wallet: from repurposing old garments or fabrics into something new to mending and patching for longevity. If you sew, you can reject fast fashion and craft your own style or tailor for your specific body shape.
In the spirit of repurposing old sweaters and other garments, Sew to Share, hosted by Grow to Share, links sewing resources from River Falls Public Library with volunteers to mend hats and mittens for the community. This ongoing initiative happening every Saturday through the middle of January is an effort to nurture mental well-being and community during the winter months while also keeping items out of the landfill. You can find out more by visiting www.growtoshare.org.
These events are about connecting communities in ways that are meaningful and sustainable. They create avenues for resilience.
Resilience is defined as the ability to adjust or recover from change or misfortune with ease.
What started out linguistically to describe a material’s physical ability to withstand pressure, the concept of resilience has expanded to encompass how individuals, communities, and even ecosystems survive trauma or extremely unpleasant circumstances. Now, in 2024 resilience is something which we can build.
Resilience planning is a process communities can undertake to identify potential hazards and threats, then establish adaptation, mitigation, and recovery plans. Resilience planning is about acknowledging extreme weather events will happen and how we can best manage their effects; environmentally, socially, economically, and personally. It is about not burying our head in the sand. It is about being proactive and preemptive.
As communities around Pierce County work to update their comprehensive plans now and in the future, they should consider building resilience into their civic planning. With diligent research, careful forethought, and deliberate action, we can make a difference in how our communities are prepared for extreme weather events.
As citizens, we should reach out to our community leaders to make sure they are considering sustainability and resilience as they work to establish a viable future for our communities.
As individuals, we can build resilience by taking actionable steps in our personal lives, prioritizing our mental well-being, and making personal connections. Lucky for us, there are opportunities for this right in our own backyard.
Upcoming events
Sew to Share, Saturday, Dec. 21 and 28, and Jan. 4 and 11, River Falls Public Library, noon to 2 p.m. Learn more at www.growtoshare.org/winterwellbeing.html
Green Skills Sampler, 9:30-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 at River Falls High School. Learn more and register at River Falls Community Ed, https://bit.ly/4im6Lsm
Students, faculty, and community members are invited to join UWRF Office of Sustainability for the Shape our Future Climate Action and Resiliency Workshop, from 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday, Jan. 24 at the University Center Ballroom A. Register by emailing sustainability@uwrf.edu.
