Read more about the article Can Akron Become the Nation’s Most Edible City?
SoSA Biodiversity Leader Beth Vild Looks to Permaculture for Biodiversity and Food Security
Sustainability

Can Akron Become the Nation’s Most Edible City?

Words by Sophie Vaughan

What if you could pick blueberries from your local park to make a pie? Or gather chestnuts from your tree lawn to roast in your oven? What if your Sunday afternoon hike led you down a path lined with overgrown kale plants, which you could pluck for your dinner salad? That’s the reality that local permaculture expert and community organizer Beth Vild wants to grow for Akron, Ohio.

Vild is COO and Director of Programming at The Big Love Network, as well as the Founder and CEO of Wild Woman Designs and Consulting, a permaculture and landscaping design business focused on edible urban landscapes. Her decades of experience in urban permaculture and community advocacy are an invaluable asset to the Summit of Sustainability Alliance (SoSA). As a SoSA Biodiversity Team leader, Vild is ramping up for another big year of collaboration and community connection, with plans for several tree plantings, an organization-to-organization plant giveaway, and an abundance of educational outreach opportunities. This year’s activities will be informed by the successes and lessons learned from last year’s pilot projects.

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April 5, 2024
Read more about the article “It’s about Caulk” | Architect Hallie Bowie Weighs in on Big (and small) Green Opportunities for the Home ahead of Spring Open House Event
Hallie Bowie’s Home with Solar Panels Photo courtesy of Hallie Bowie
Sustainability

“It’s about Caulk” | Architect Hallie Bowie Weighs in on Big (and small) Green Opportunities for the Home ahead of Spring Open House Event

Words by Sophie Vaughan

Sustainable living means different things to different people. For some, it’s as simple as recycling and composting. Some people choose to avoid single-use plastics. Some change out traditional light bulbs for LEDs. Then there are those rare moments when big investments—like replacing an appliance or even building a new home—can provide big green opportunities.

On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, learn how to spot some of these opportunities at an all-electric open house event hosted by Hallie Bowie, Architect and Founder at New Leaf Home Design, LLC. 

This open house event will teach attendees all about home electrification and will include two time options:

At 1:30pm, Hallie will host the Summit of Sustainability Alliance (SoSA) monthly meeting with a ReWiring America presentation on electrifying mid-sized cities. Bowie is a representative to SoSA for the Home Builders Association serving Portage and Summit counties. 

At 6:30pm, Hallie will focus her presentation on the Inflation Reduction Act.

The primary objective of this open house event is to familiarize people with some of the equipment and appliances that can qualify for tax credits and rebates through the Inflation Reduction Act, which is geared toward transitioning homes to using electricity for heating, as opposed to using methane gas. 

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March 22, 2024