Green Ways Rally scheduled April 16
A Green Ways Rally for encouraging sustainable economic growth and protecting tourism dollars in our scenic area of the state is scheduled for April 16 at the Guttenberg Municipal Building. (Press photo by Molly Moser)
By Molly Moser
With environmental concerns at the core of the 2016 presidential elections, the Clayton County Democrats have organized a Green Ways Rally on Saturday, April 16, in Guttenberg.
“It’s a watershed moment in history where we’re all realizing this movement better come from the ground up, because it’s not coming from the top down,” said event chair Gina Dahlstrom-Osburn. “This is a bipartisan effort for people concerned about environmental health, our health, and the future we leave.”
The event will kick off with a welcome from Mayor Russ Loven and will feature various speakers and interactive booths. Ann Staudt from Iowa State University will present “How Does Your Water Shed?” Dr. Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Ames, will speak about forage crops, land use and soil health.
Carla Kauffman will speak on behalf of Dubuque Poison Free Parks, a new group designed to help people from the Dubuque area connect and collaborate to get poisons like Round Up banned from city parks and public spaces.
Tim Mueller, cofounder of Solar Planet, will give a presentation on sustainable living. Solar Planet was founded in Dubuque by Lisa Mueller, Tim Mueller and David Mueller, who believe that with rising fuel prices and growing pressure to find an environmentally friendly means of obtaining clean electricity, the natural cure is for everyone to generate their own power.
Throughout the day, Senator Rob Hogg will give a reading from his book America’s Climate Century, while candidates Tom Fiegan and Jan Heikes speak on environmental, social, and mental health issues. Naturalist Robert Wolf of Decorah will present findings from his book, Building the Agricultural City.
Clayton County Conservation Awareness Network will be on site, as will vendors with information about wind and solar energy alternatives. Those interested can sign up for a river cleanup program through American Rivers and 1 Mississippi. The clean up will be scheduled in Guttenberg along the Mississippi.
Each vendor will bring a gift basket for a silent auction fundraiser. Bids will be taken all afternoon at individual vendor tables, and each vendor organization will keep the proceeds from their donation.
The Green Ways Rally will be held on the third floor of the Guttenberg Municipal Building at 502 S. 1st Street in Guttenberg. Films shown throughout the day on the ground floor will be Vanishing of the Bees and Cafeteria Man.
Barbecue pork sandwiches will be served on the ground floor from 1-3 p.m. The event will also function as a food drive for the northeast Iowa Food Bank, so attendees are encouraged to bring a nonperishable food item for donation.
For more information, contact Gina Dahlstrom-Osburn at 563-213-9021 or farmgirlgdo@gmail.com.
