CACORforum

Hallbarhet Northeast 2009

Sustainability, Times 10

Participants:

email list: 

Awhile back, Georges sent out a message inviting folks to help plan a regional sustainability event for the Northeastern US.  Several of us have put our heads together and come up with a loose plan for a local, organic, cage-free event for those of us not able to attend the Aussie event but want to connect in some way. 
 
Basic plan: A weekend event Feb 6-8 2009 on CAPE ANN, MASSACHUSETTS

Saturday & Sunday - facilitated learning and discussions, including:

·         dialogue cafe exploring individual and collective experience in sustainability work

·         presentations by participants & others

·         harvesting of common themes

·         potential video connection to the party down under (and/or other regional events)

Collective vision so far is to gather sustainability practitioners in one place, learn from each other, and have a bunch of fun.  The theme is parallel to the theme of the Australia event: How can we elevate our impact tenfold?  Questions we hope to explore in various formats and some potential “sub-goals”:

·         What are we working on?

·         What are some great success stories?

·         What are key challenges we face in our work? 

·         What are ways we can overcome our barriers and move sustainability forward? 

·         Goal: at least one tangible “business” partnership between participants in the network as a result of the weekend (could be a collaborative project, a connection with a customer that comes through, a new hire, etc.)

·         Goal: a record of our outcomes to share with the network – accessible, compelling, with some tangible / concrete results that will move society towards sustainability

·         Goal: engage at least 5 people outside the network who had not heard of the MSLS program before and get them materials

·         Goal: raise $400 for the program through stratleade and/or other deserving groups (e.g. Hallbarhet Australia, some of the local groups we may engage with, etc.)

Details – event will be on Cape Ann in Gloucester, MA, and we are in the prioritization phase as we research costs, venues, and other pros & cons to each option.  Please join our conversation…

VERY TENTATIVE OUTLINE FOR SCHEDULE:

Friday, February 6^th

Welcome reception, dinner, networking and hanging out.

·         Time: 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm

·         Location:  TBD (Dyer house?  Alchemy?  Franklins upstairs? )

Saturday, February 7^th

·         8:00 am – breakfast (Dyer house?  Two sisters?  Sugar Mags?  Lee’s?)

·         9:00-10:15 – presentations from participants – what we’re working on

·         10:15-10:30 – coffee break

·         10:30-12:00 – session - techniques from the SoL groups - particularly how to break mental models with activities and games?

·         12:00-12:45 – lunch

·         12:45-2:45 – session - challenges/successes that I’ve had in incorporating the TNS model into my sustainability consulting.  I can give a 10-15 minute overview of how it’s worked within my company, and then I’d love to facilitate a larger discussion with the group.  I’m curious, how are you using it?  Or, why are you NOT using it?  What tweaks have you made?  Ideas for more successful models?

·         2:45-3:00 – break

       3:00-4:00 - connect with MSLS class of '09 about Toolbox idea

       4:00-8:00 – connect with Australia group & Bob Willard

·         8:00-11:00 pm – dinner & drinks

Sunday, February 8^th

·         9:00 am – breakfast (Dyer house?  Two sisters?  Sugar Mags?  Lee’s?)

·         10:00-11:00 – session

·         11:00-11:15 – coffee break

·         11:15-12:30 – session

·         12:30-1:30 – lunch

·         1:30 – 3:00 – session - summarize and pull together a legacy report of some kind

·         3:00-3:15 – break - END EARLIER?

·         3:15-5:00 – session

·         5:00-6:00 – break / free time

·         6:00 – farewell dinner

Potential Session Ideas:

·         Video connect with Australia trip / other regional events

·         Meet with Sustainable Cape Ann organizers

·         “Green tour of Gloucester” (nothing off-the-charts here, but it’s a cool historic town, with a handful or exciting green features, etc.)

·         Try to get some SoL people out for a dialogue session

·         We could go into Boston one of the days and try to set up some meeting with groups there (e.g. SoL, Tellus, CERES, universities, SEI, etc. – although might be tough given it’s a weekend)

·         At least one session should be set aside for recording our outcomes – a combo of documents, slides, pictures, videos – to share with the rest of the network, and get something tangible out of the weekend.

        Potential Outside Groups to network with:

• Green Meadows Organic Farm (Cape Ann)
• Sustainable Cape Ann (Cape Ann)
• Tellus Institute (cool NGO think tank - in Boston)
• Nexus and The Green Roundtable (green building resource center - in Boston)
• Harvard Green Campus Initiative (maybe a tour? - in Boston)
• Neptune's Harvest (seaweed and fish guts natural fertilizer - Cape Ann)
• End of the Line Studios (sustainably-minded friends' local art studio - Cape Ann)

LOGISTICS

Travel options:

• Airports: Boston Logan, Manchester, NH, Providence, RI
• Commuter Rail - from Boston, North Station to West Gloucester (across the street from Dyer's house) - $7.25 each way, 55 minutes, schedule click here
• Zip car, rental car, carpooling / rides

Accommodation:

• Dyer house (288 Essex Ave, Gloucester, MA) - can sleep 6 guests (with some pullout couch / air-mattress sharing)
• Kasnet?   Howe?
• Local hotels / motels / bed & breakfast - there are plenty of options we can explore if people prefer this route