November 10, 2020 – Read the latest updates from Sustainable Plymouth including activities of our working groups, our next meeting date, and events and news from other advocacy groups in the region.

NEXT MEETING:

November 16, 2020 at 6:30pm via Zoom. Email sustainableplymouth@gmail.com for the event invitation.

The Sustainable Restaurant project team has partnered with the Center for Eco Technology and RecyclingWorks MA on our Sustainable Restaurant program.  RecyclingWorks is funded by the MassDEP and will work one-on-one with participating restaurants to help them divert their food waste and switch to sustainable take-out containers.  CET offers no cost energy audits and can supply businesses with faucet aerators and LED bulbs at no cost.  We have put together a tri-fold brochure to share as we launch the pilot program.  We will begin visiting a handful of restaurants for feedback starting 11/12/20.

The project team on food sustainability/ native plants has hired Botanist Irina Kadis to positively identify the plants located at the Manomet Recreation Area.  MRA will be the home of the first interpretive signage/ demonstration garden, in collaboration with the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe and Terra Cura. A trail system is being worked on by Marine and Environmental in the adjacent Indian Brook Conservation Area thanks to the help of the Open Space Committee, David Gould and Malcolm MacGregor!

Two new working groups are being formed and will be discussed at the next monthly meeting of Sustainable Plymouth. Join the meeting to learn more about the formation of the Plastic/Waste Working Group (facilitated by Ken Stone) and Wildlife/ Habitat Working Group (facilitated by Jackie Millar).

A message from Eric Cody, Chair of the newly formed Water Conservation Committee: Please tell your members this committee welcomes their ideas and critical feedback as we develop the water conservation program and increase community awareness through educational outreach. I expect we’ll be setting up an electronic network in the near future to enable idea-sharing and keep everyone informed of progress.

Indian Brook.  

The Open Space Committee and the Trails Working Group, under the auspices of the OSC, have made a number of field trips to the Indian Brook School and the Manomet Recreation Area to tramp the ground, see what is there, and look for possibilities for improvement to a trail network.  The Trails Group plans a work party starting at 10 AM on Saturday,  November 7 to clear the existing trail, which begins behind the children’s playground in the rear of the Manomet Rec Area. Working with the Forest Rangers, some chainsaw work will be done on the existing trail, and the extension of the new trail will begin.

Working with the Forest Wardens and David Gould from the Department of Marine and Environmental affairs, it has been decided to extend the existing trail across Indian Brook Road ( a dirt road) and on to the shore of Shallow Pond.  For now, there will be only an in and out trail, not a loop.  The hope is to amplify the trail into a loop at a later date, creating a route that will head south from Shallow Pond, then along the Indian Brook & marsh, and rejoin the existing trail just south of the westernmost ball field.  The trail will get some signage and trail markers.  It is hoped that the new extension will incorporate a length of an abandoned but charming cart path, which runs  more or less parallel to Indian Brook Road.

Further, the Trails group would like to mark and clear out the short path connecting the Indian Brook School yard to the Rec area, near the base of the telecommunication tower.   Lastly, there is a wide and nicely laid out forest path that loops from behind the school itself in a wide arc and connecting back to the open field near the basketball court.    Perhaps at a later date, that path could be connected to the Rec area paths.

Take a Hike.

The Old Colony Memorial recently published an article  “Wheel Friendly Hikes” prepared by the OSC about woodland trails that are barrier free and paved; intended for strollers, wheelchairs, and  other recreational wheels like children’s scooters and bicycles.  This is to highlight the open space environment for those who need wheels to get out there.

Fun Family Hike.

The OSC will sponsor and guide a Covid- compliant hike open to the public at the Hio Hill Preserve, on Old Sandwich Road, south of the intersection with Ship Pond Road, on Sunday Nov 8 at 1 PM.  Masks mandatory, even though it is outside.

Trail Guide to the Nature Preserves of Plymouth

Work is progressing on a booklet about most of the trails in the Town owned conservation properties, which will include trail maps, photos and a description of the features.

Pollinator Protection Plan

The Staff Planner for the OSC, Patrick Farah, is completing  planning for this endeavor which will establish pollinator supportive wild flower gardens on verges and roadsides of Town land.

Bring Your Ideas!

The Open Space Committee welcomes input from the citizens about any ideas or projects that  they would like to see, to improve access and encourage recreational use of our wild and open spaces.

The Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe and Sustainable Plymouth are inviting organizations to join a collective letter requesting the Town of Plymouth take action on specific steps in line with the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness study suggestions for Climate Ready Healthy Plymouth.

For more information please email: melanie@sustainableplymouth.org

 GATRA HAS A NEW ROUTE

From Ken Stone:  Public transportation certainly can play a great role in sustainability.  ​GATRA is offering​ a new transit service for ​South Plymouth. It is a

n expansion of GATRA’s on demand, same day and wheelchair accessible service. The service will operate Monday through Friday 7 AM to 5 PM.  Depending upon the response, they may extend the hours to include weekends and later in the day.   Customers can download the app just like Uber or Lyft or they can call the number for the dispatch office.  Like these other services, GATRA on demand (aka MicroTransit) will pick up at any location within the boundaries of their South Plymouth service area. The general boundaries of the service are from South Plymouth to Memorial Hall downtown, but riders should call for details.   Starting in November, the cost will be $2.00 per trip.

For more information and assistance booking your ride, call (508) 301-7200.

You can download the Transloc app at: transloc.com/app​ 

CAPE COD CLIMATE CHANGE COLLABORATIVE HOSTED NETZERO 2020 CAPE COD CONFERENCE

Update from Linda Lancaster:  Videos of all the presentations from [Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative’s] last week’s NetZero Cape Cod 2020 conference are now on line. The conference opens with an exciting keynote address from Mindy Lubber, CEO of Ceres. If you watch only one video, pick this one.

Mindy Lubber’s talk is the first video “WELCOME” and her talk begins about 6 minutes in.  It’s encouraging to hear everything CERES is doing with businesses in the US and beyond.

https://netzerocapecod.org/videos/

Other speakers you won’t want to miss:

Track A – Jobs, Public Policy & Economic Recovery

(A2) – Tim Cronin on climate bills in the Mass legislature

(A3) – MAPC speaker about developing community climate action plans & support from MAPC

(A4) – Presentation on TCI – the Transportation & Climate Initiative

Track B – Green Toolkits for Business Success

(B1) – Jen Benson (former state rep) now President, Alliance for Business Leadership

Bookmark this website for future reference.  There’s so much content, it may be best used for reference, viewing useful videos over time.

Best wishes,

Linda