SustainaVille Week Returns: Celebrate Climate Action in Somerville, April 22-29

Join Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville Office of Sustainability and Environment for a series of free events, workshops, and interactive activities to celebrate SustainaVille Week, April 22-29, an annual celebration of sustainability and climate action in Somerville during the week of Earth Day. 

“Whether it’s planting a pollinator garden, advocating to decarbonize new construction in our area, recycling, or investing in sustainability initiatives, every day the City and Somerville community work together to help protect our planet,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “I invite all of our community members to join us for SustainaVille 2023 to celebrate what we have achieved so far and continue the hard work of fighting climate change.”  

The 2023 SustainaVille Week lineup features a keynote address with Mayor Ballantyne, who introduced Somerville’s 2019 Green New Deal City Council resolution, and Senator Ed Markey, cosponsor of the 2019 Congressional Green New Deal resolution, as well as fun and educational activities for the whole family.  

Advance registration is required for the keynote address with Mayor Ballantyne and Senator Markey, as well as the eco-themed sing-along at the West Branch Library. 

Check out highlights of the schedule below:   

Earth Day Growing Event, Saturday, April 22 (rain date April 29), 1-4 p.m., Growing Center (22 Vinal Ave.) 

Join us for a fun day of family-friendly activities, including vegetable and houseplant planting tutorials and a popular canning demonstration. Language support will be available for Spanish and other languages upon request.  

The Green New Deal & Somerville, Monday, April 24, 6:30 p.m., Somerville High School Auditorium (81 Highland Ave.) 

Join us for SustainaVille Week’s keynote address with Mayor Ballantyne and Senator Markey. Community members will learn about the Green New Deal, the Inflation Reduction Act, and how federal funding and priorities can support climate action in Somerville. Advance registration is required. Register here: bit.ly/MarkeyandBallantyne  

Sing-Along at West Branch, Tuesday, April 25, 11 a.m., West Branch Library (40 College Ave.) 

As part of SustainaVille Week’s community events lineup, we invite Somerville families to an eco-themed sing-along event to celebrate Earth Week. Tickets, which are free, are required to attend this event. Get tickets here: bit.ly/3nTIqCA  

SustainaVille Panel: Investing in Our Planet, Tuesday, April 25, 6-7:30 p.m., Virtual Zoom Event  

The Somerville community is invited to a panel discussion that covers three topics: 

• Environmental Justice 
• Environmental, Social, and Governance Investing  
• Resilience 

Panelists include Cassidy Yates, EIT (Climate Resiliency Engineer at Weston & Sampson), Julie Dyer Wood (Climate Compact Director at Charles River Watershed Association), and Devin MacGoy (Energy Democracy Community Organizer at GreenRoots, Inc.). Registration is not required. Join on Zoom at the start of the event: zoom.us/j/99533806195  

“An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” Movie Screening, Wednesday, April 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m., West Branch Library (40 College Ave.) 

Join the Somerville Public Library and the Office of Sustainability and Environment at the West Branch Library in honor of Earth Day. We will be viewing “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” (2017), a documentary about former Vice President Al Gore’s continuing efforts to fight climate change globally. Register here: https://rb.gy/diqhn  

SustainaVille Week is also the kick-off of the Somerville Climate Forward Plan update. Somerville Climate Forward is the City’s climate action plan, first developed in 2018. Over the next few months, the City will update this plan with community feedback and more recent climate data to reassess our priorities and identify strategies to accomplish our climate goals. For more information, visit: voice.somervillema.gov/somerville-climate-forward-update. 

For more information about all the SustainaVille Week activities, please visit https://www.somervillema.gov/sustainavilleweek or contact Erin Noel at enoel@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 x2425.    

Image	Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance at 617-625-6600 x2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.
Image	Interpretation into any language is available upon advance request (at least seven days in advance) by contacting the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs at somervillema.gov/ContactSomerViva or calling 311 at 617-666-3311.