After a six-month hiatus, Sustainable Queen Anne is again working on green goals.
"We're back in business and are really interested in what people would like to do that's sustainable in Queen Anne," said Heather Trim, QA resident and Sustainable Queen Anne president. "We're here to help and of course we'd love the community to be interested in the projects we've already got started."
Sustainable Queen Anne applied for a matching Sparks Grant of $1,000 to start up a Bage Share program. The Bag Share program started in Massachusetts and the idea is to make reusable bags and ask community stores to carry them near the checkout counter.
"When someone is there and they forget to bring their bags or they don't have enough, they can grab it and bring it back to participating stores," Trim said.
The grant money will help buy supplies for the pilot program, in which Trim plans to make at least 500 bags before placing them in stores. Trim is still working on partnering with local businesses, but the plan is for sewing groups to start in April.
Aside from promoting the use of reusable bags, it will be an opportunity for community members to learn how to sew, or share their sewing skills, in what Trim called a "sewing bee."
"We'll have people come together once a month and we'll provide supplies and teach people how to sew," Trim said. "We're also looking for people to make donations of old fabrics and unloved ties. Ties make excellent handles."
While the group works on this short-term project, resident Richard Pauli is investigating the interest in a tool-lending library. There a few different models for how to do this, but the general idea is community members contribute tools to a "tool library" that can be borrowed by fell community members. The Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) has a tool lending library set up; PNA members may borrow tools for a suggested weekly tool maintenance fee that varies for each tool, anywhere from $2 for clamps to $115 for a chipper/shredder.
So far, Pauli said the reaction's been mixed but he wants to hear people's ideas. Other long-term projects for the group include investigating the installation of bike lift to take bicyclists from the bottom of Queen Anne to the top of the hill.
For now, Trim's focused on Bag Share and reviving interest in the group's monthly meetings. Meetings start at 6:30 on the third Monday of the month, and feature a guest speaker. The Regional Education Manager for National Wildlife Federation will speak at the March 22 meeting about creating backyard habitats. For more information on the group and meeting locations, visit sustainablequeenanne.org.[[In-content Ad]]
