The how of sustainability

Tickets are now available for the kick-off luncheon for Sustainable September Spokane, an upcoming month-long series of programs, activities and community events. Last year, the first-ever event was designed to show the Spokane community the importance of environmentally responsible living. This year, the effort aims to put these principles into action in one’s day-to-day living. “Why we should be sustainable, we’ve covered that,” said Shallan Dawson, project coordinator at Community-Minded Enterprises. “Now, we want to show people how to be sustainable.” The first event will be the luncheon, which begins at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 1 at the Masonic Lodge in downtown Spokane. The event will feature local food prepared by Sante Restaurant & Charcuterie, a welcome from Spokane Mayor Mary Verner, and a presentation by Kevin Danaher, executive director of Global Exchange. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/123974 Other activities in September include lectures, workshops, a film festival and a home show, with at least one event each day of the month—and a few things planned in late August. Dawson said all of this year’s events fit into one of several core tracks: building and landscaping, economic sustainability, active stewardship, local food, energy security, eco-generation, inclusive communities and health and well-being. Consider, for example, the “how” of local food, which will be another facet of the kick-off luncheon. Jeremy Hansen, executive chef at Sante, is developing the menu for the lunch and plans to use only food grown or raised within 90 miles of Spokane. The menu for the luncheon, which drew more than 300 people last year, hasn’t been finalized, but could include items like pork raised in the Spokane area and lentils grown on the Palouse. Hansen will be on hand to explain what’s on the plate and where it came from. “To me,” Dawson said, “that’s the point of Sustainable September, making the connection with the changes we can make so we live more sustainably.” Key events in other tracks include: * Building and Landscaping: The Green Home and Landscaping Tour is scheduled Sept. 12 and features homes constructed using sustainable materials and techniques, and yards incorporating xeriscaping and other environmentally-friendly practices. The sites hadn’t been finalized at press time. Last year’s Green Home and Landscaping Tour had nine sites, Dawson said, and this year’s event will have at least that many. Tickets are available at Eco Depot, at 1326 E. Sprague in the International District, and at Sante, at 404 W. Main downtown. On the day of the show, tickets will be available at the Green Salon & Day Spa, at 227 W. Riverside downtown. * Eco-nomic sustainability: A green business networking luncheon is planned for Sept. 20 at the Spokane Club downtown. Michelle Long, national director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), will be the keynote speaker and will lead a discussion on whether Spokane should create a formal green business network. * Active Stewardship: The main event will be a big Spokane River clean-up Sept. 25 planned by the Friends of the Falls. Last year’s clean-up attracted hundreds of volunteers, not to mention some pretty interesting pieces of garbage. For more information, visit www.friendsofthefalls.org. * Eco-generation: Sustainable Uprising, a one-of-a-kind street fair geared toward young adults, is planned 8 a.m.-noon Sept. 11 along Main Street, between Browne and Division streets. The event will include local music, up-cycled fashion, hands-on art, and products from local vendors, and is expected to be a good way for young adults to meet and celebrate sustainability. While these events are integral to Sustainable September, the film festival will be one of the month’s biggest events, with sustainability-related movies planned at the Garland Theater, on Spokane’s north side, every Tuesday through the month. The first night of the film festival, Sept. 7, will include “Gulf Coast Blues,” a locally-produced documentary about the impact of the BP oil spill on Louisiana coastal communities. The free screening also coincides with the launch party for the fall issue of Down to Earth NW magazine. While the Sustainable September organizers don’t have a formal way to track the number of people who attend all of the 2009 events, Dawson estimates that more than 1,000 people attended various activities. “We should easily double that this year,” she said.