Canton Sustainability Minutes March 2020

Source page 1

Canton Sustainability Committee Minutes
March 2, 2020 - 7:00 p.m.
786 Washington Street, Canton, MA
Community Room
Members present: Andrea Stuart, Patty M., Trish Boyden, Carolyn Elkort
Tim Calabrese
Guests: Shawn Kent, Mass Audubon, Laura Smead, Town Planner, Erin Connor, Canton Resident
February minutes: motion made and seconded to approve Feb. minutes, motion passed unanimously.
An engaging discussion between Laura Smead, sustainability committee members and Shawn Kent on various programming ideas, working w/other town committees to split funding for educational
programming.
Laura Smead said Mass Audubon has climate change educational info available.
Shawn Kent said Mass Audubon’s focus for the next several years is Climate Change. Audubon will create a program that reaches anyone the town wants it to reach. Laura Smead suggesting
reaching lower income people or people w/language barriers.
Laura mentioned topics including water efficiency, mitigating damage caused by climate change. Shawn Kent gave examples of various Audubon programs: in RI the students are learning land
use planning, commercial planning etc. They’ve been doing programming in Stoughton for adults, doing talks about native resources i.e. How are we building climate resiliency?
Shawn works with Orchard Cove doing educational talks there about wild life around the Rez.
Laura mentioned storm water which areas will be affected by flooding etc. 
Stoughton got grants to have nature walks and talks. 
Stoughton does charge a fee for pre-school programs.
Mass Audubon doesn’t have funding, though Shawn said he’d help with funding by writing grants for Canton & look for funding.
A speaker series cost about $600 or $700, topics Shawn has spoken about include migratory birds and secret life of owls, what’s the buzz about bees.
Laura asked if the sustainability committee could partner w/the library, the Walk, Bike & Hike group or other town committees to fund speakers?
We need a better presence on the web, on the town website and on social media to promote when we have speakers.
Laura suggested having sustainability, walk bike hike putting hyperlinks on their webpages.
Laura can update the website once we are on it. Laura suggested putting our news on the Council on Aging, the BOS page, and the library page which already has built in viewership.
Laura went back to the vulnerable people connection - how do we reach out to the vulnerable communities.
Other discussion included:
Andrea mentioned the police chief & fire dept. reaches out to the vulnerable communities.
Senior Center & Library can be heating & cooling centers.
The Rez is going to be made more accessible. 
Andrea had a question about the web page, which would be a public education resource.
RE: Storm water run-off, Laura is working w/ NRWA to educate, 
Milton has a storm water bill to help mitigate the run off situation.
Laura Smead idea: Storm water hero - give to businesses who are doing the right thing.
Metropolitan Planning Council would have known about the Storm Water bill that Milton has implemented.
See if any $ is available for speaker series.
Ask Select Board for mitigation funds
Carolyn mentioned that Library & Parks and Rec could partner to pay for speakers.
Carolyn mentioned a panel discussion w/two or three promote it as community conversation about climate change.
Shawn mentioned climate cafes. 
Climate Friday at Trillium would cost us like $500 or a $1000
Nature on Tap - 
$2500.00 could get us a 5-night speaker series.
Start it in the Fall, a transportation climate series, bike tune up - 
Conservation may co-sponsor a speaker series.
Ie. Flora & fauna native to Canton
Ie. Native species in Canton
Ie. Climate proof your lawn
Garden club is another group we could partner w/to pony up cash for a speaker series.
Carolyn mentioned doing the speaker series back at the library.
Carolyn mentioned people are craving what to do in their own yard.
Laura suggested pooling funds w/Library, parks and rec, council on aging, walk bike & hike, conservation, - go to canton cultural council.
Hagan’s court issue: Charlie Aspinwall doesn’t want to start recycling w/cost of recycling being higher then waste cost.
DEP Grant Status- 
Erin Connor brought up earth day (April 22nd) trash pick-up -
No littering signs
Thanks for keeping Canton Clean
April 6th, next meeting. 
Meeting adjourned at 8:33