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Discover actionable strategies and inspiring stories that highlight our collective efforts towards a sustainable future.

How much should you water your lawn?

How much should you water your lawn?

Stay up-to-date on water usage and recommendations. Ashland purchases a small proportion of our domestic water from the Medford Water Commission, so we get to take advantage of their services. One of the services the Commission provides is a weekly watering advisory...

“Ashland Reads” Event Goes Zero Waste

“Ashland Reads” Event Goes Zero Waste

This year, in keeping with Rotary's new area of focus, "Supporting Environment," Ashland Reads created hardly any garbage when it served lunch to first-graders who participated in the annual literacy project. Ashland Rotarians team up each spring to put on a...

The Pedal Power Community Bike Program

The Pedal Power Community Bike Program

Supporting Ashland’s kids and our growing bike culture. There’s a burgeoning bike culture here in Ashland: lots of kids joining the bike bus to school, First Friday revelers exploring town on two wheels, and bike racks at local pubs and restaurants frequently filled...

A Better Way to Get Kids to School

A Better Way to Get Kids to School

In 1969, just two generations ago, nearly half of students in the United States aged 5-14 walked or biked or rode a bus to school. By 2017, that number was down to 10.7%. A number of factors – such as increased distance to school, urban sprawl, and safety concerns –...

Compost for the Otterlifter Canoe

Compost for the Otterlifter Canoe

A big community thanks to Ashland Community Composting for donating compost to the Ashland High School Otterlifter Canoe! Our Compost Action Team volunteer, Magdalena Winter, recently donated two cubic feet of compost to Ashland High School. The rich compost, produced...

With Wildfire, a Defensible Space Makes a Difference

With Wildfire, a Defensible Space Makes a Difference

After the Palisades and Eaton fires in L.A., photos circulated of homes standing amid wreckage. Such a sight isn’t uncommon after wildfires — similar images emerged after the Hawaii wildfires in Lahaina, the Carr fire in Redding, and even the Almeda fire here in the...

Ashland Community Composting

Ashland Community Composting

Looking for an accessible, affordable compost option? Ashland Community Composting has you covered. At the heart of the organization is Magdalena Winter, a longtime Ashland resident and member of our Compost action team. Three years ago, alongside her friend Ximena,...

Streets for Everyone 2024 Highlights

Streets for Everyone 2024 Highlights

2024 was a good year for transportation improvements in Ashland —and Streets for Everyone played an important role in that effort. Green Bike Lanes and Bollards Earlier this year, the city installed bollard-protected bike lanes on Ashland Street from Siskiyou to the...

City Council Moves Forward on Energy Programs

City Council Moves Forward on Energy Programs

The December 3 Ashland City Council meeting was the scene of a rare “win-win-win” lovefest. The steps taken by the City Council on December 3 aligned with the Ashland’s Climate and Energy Action Plan (CEAP) in a multitude of ways:  Overall Goal 1. Reduce community...

Rogue Produce’s Community Compost Program

Rogue Produce’s Community Compost Program

Ever wish there was a smarter thing to do with your food scraps than throwing them in the garbage? Tried to start your own compost operation at home but found it’s too difficult to maintain or that it attracts unwanted critters? Rogue Produce has created a smart...

Let’s Take Some Bold Steps

Let’s Take Some Bold Steps

Housing costs are a challenge in Ashland – the right energy policies can help. Here’s some big news: Beginning in 2025, our city electric utility will have access to $10 million to help homeowners and businesses make energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades...

How to Avoid Food Waste During the Holiday Season

How to Avoid Food Waste During the Holiday Season

Food waste is a common problem during the holidays. Every year at Thanksgiving, American families throw out 305 million pounds of food, according to the University of Minnesota. It’s possible to avoid contributing to the problem, by taking a few simple steps: Plan...

Welcome to Our New Ashland Energy Policy Series

Welcome to Our New Ashland Energy Policy Series

The City is getting ready to up its game in energy conservation. We’ve got ideas! The City of Ashland appears to be getting ready to make headway on several important issues simultaneously  – reducing the cost and improving the quality of life for Ashlanders who are...

Ashland Solar Cooperative Launches First Project

Ashland Solar Cooperative Launches First Project

This story was originally published on Ashland.News on November 14, 2024. Project could power at least 18 households By Isobel Whitcomb, Ashland Climate Collaborative Solar power plays a key role in Ashland’s plan to achieve net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050...

Green Gift Ideas for the Holidays

Green Gift Ideas for the Holidays

With the holidays right around the corner, the crew at Ashland Climate Collaborative wanted to share a few of our favorite things… Portable induction cooktops for gas stove owners who aren’t ready to convert. Induction cookware to go with the new cooktop! Electric...

The Power of Neighbors Connecting

The Power of Neighbors Connecting

It’s been almost two years since Jim started the Upper Clay Street neighborhood group in 2022. As he walks around his neighborhood, he sees the fruits of his labor of love. He waves hello to his friend Dana, a woman in her 80s.  Dana hosted a gathering of 21 that...

Heating our Homes: A Path to Net Zero

Heating our Homes: A Path to Net Zero

Doug Piper, a member of the Electrify Ashland Now! action team, shares his insights on how to rid our homes of gas furnaces by 2050. A gas furnace produces more pollution than almost anything else we use —  an estimated four to eight tons of carbon emissions per year....

Will Ashland Get a New Water Treatment Plant?

Will Ashland Get a New Water Treatment Plant?

The Ashland Climate Collaborative has not taken a position on the water treatment plant ballot measure 15-234 Below is the opinion of our Water Conservation Team. New Ballot Measure Would Finance a Hardier Water Treatment Plant Ashland’s water treatment plant has...

How To Remove Your Lawn

How To Remove Your Lawn

One of the most important projects in low-water landscaping is lawn removal. Lawns guzzle billions of gallons of water each day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Studies suggest that replacing a lawn with native plants and drip irrigation can save as...

Silent but Deadly

Silent but Deadly

Earlier this year, ACC board member Rick Barth had a scary experience. Rick, who has devoted years to helping Ashland residents transition away from methane (“natural” gas), discovered that one of his last remaining gas appliances, his gas water heater, was leaking...

Electrification Progress in Ashland

Electrification Progress in Ashland

Ashland Homeowners are Switching to Heat Pumps The Ashland Climate & Energy Action Plan (CEAP) was legislated in 2017. It set a goal for the city and its residents to reduce carbon emissions by 8% every year. This requires a reduction in the burning of fossil...

How to Reduce Outdoor Water Use

How to Reduce Outdoor Water Use

Free programs and rebates to get your irrigation system ready for summer Did you know that more than one-third of all water consumed by households goes to irrigating our lawns, gardens, and outdoor spaces? In arid places, that number can be as high as 60 percent,...

Landscaping Tips for Spring

Landscaping Tips for Spring

Early spring is the perfect time to get ready for the summer watering season. Performing a few important maintenance tasks now can help your landscape hold water and improve its water efficiency. The tips below help sustain healthy soils that cycle nutrients, minimize...

Dry Farming

Dry Farming

By Patricia Acklin, Chair, ACC Water Conservation Action Team There is growing interest in the American West in a technique called dry farming, which allows growers to forgo irrigation. This does not mean growing plants without water. Instead, dry-farmed plants use...

Linda Electrifies Her Home

Linda Electrifies Her Home

Last year, I renovated an older and very beat-up bungalow, which required extensive and expensive work to make it livable and comfortable. I knew I wanted to switch from gas to electric, so I started my journey with advice from Candace Turtle, an Electrify Ashland Now...

Streets For Everyone: 2023 in Review

Streets For Everyone: 2023 in Review

2023 Year in ReviewACC’s Streets For Everyone (SFE) Action Team had an incredible 2023! Throughout the year, we identified several opportunities to advocate for safer streets and a connected and protected bike network through town. We asked you to speak up, and you...

Get Free Help with Irrigation

Get Free Help with Irrigation

Ashlanders can get free help with their landscape irrigation — Here’s how. In the United States, Residential landscape irrigation drinks up nearly eight billion gallons of water each day — and experts estimate that around half of that water is wasted due to...

Say YES to Protected Bike Lanes on N. Mountain

Say YES to Protected Bike Lanes on N. Mountain

Attention Ashland Transportation Committee!Please move forward to add protected bike lanes on North Mountain. May 23, 2023 We are writing to the City of Ashland Transportation Commission on behalf of the vocal constituency of Ashland residents who support moving...

We Can Create Safe Routes to School in Ashland

We Can Create Safe Routes to School in Ashland

May 2023 The City of Ashland was recently awarded Safe Routes to School (SRTS) planning assistance from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Through this program, staff from City of Ashland, Ashland School District, and ODOT are working together to create a...

All About Drip Irrigation

All About Drip Irrigation

In the United States, our yards are thirsty. They drink up 8 billion gallons of water each day. To water them, most people use either sprinklers or surface irrigation, which involves using a watering can or hose to flood the soil and waiting for all that water to seep...

Happy Holidays from ACC!

In 2022 we've seen the passage of landmark climate legislation, grown as an organization and come together as a community. Here's to more of that in 2023. A big thank you for your support — The team at Ashland Climate...

Drought + H2O = Conservation

In this Ashland Climate Collaborative webinar, Oregon State Climatologist Larry O'Neill, and Medford Water Commission representatives Julie Smitherman, Customer Service & Water Efficiency Manager, and Cody Scoggins,...

Fine-Tune Your Irrigation System

Fine-Tune Your Irrigation System

Save Money and See Better Results Summer brings peak demand for watering lawns, gardens, and landscapes in our region. A well-maintained system keeps your yard beautiful and healthy while minimizing water waste. Follow the tips below to get the most out of your water...

Marsh Helps Deliver Major Climate Wins for Oregon

Marsh Helps Deliver Major Climate Wins for Oregon

As Chair of the House Committee on Energy and the Environment, District 5 Representative Pam Marsh was well-positioned this year to help ensure passage of legislation ranging from fire recovery and economic stimulus to “distinctly Oregonian” climate solutions.  “There...

Off-site Solar is a Win for Ashland Food Co-op

Off-site Solar is a Win for Ashland Food Co-op

Solar energy production in Ashland took major leaps forward in 2021. In April, True South Solar completed a major solar installation for the Ashland Food Co-op. At 528-panels, this array has a solar energy production capacity of 197 kilowatts — possibly the largest...

Blower Door Test Blows My Mind!

Blower Door Test Blows My Mind!

Image sourced from: https://scotthomeinspection.com/blower-door-testing/ by Ashland resident and ACC Board Member Candace Turtle Last month, Ben Scott, ACC's volunteer energy expert, conducted a blower door (or air leakage) test at my home. This process exaggerates...

Ashland Parents Lead a Bike Bus!

Ashland Parents Lead a Bike Bus!

Have you ever heard of a bike bus? Imagine a group of happy children on bikes pedaling a fixed route to school, picking up more mini cyclists as they pass various “stops” — just like a gas-powered school bus. Adult volunteers work together to lead the group, sweep the...

Don’t Miss Out on Energy Tax Credits!

Don’t Miss Out on Energy Tax Credits!

photo by Anderson EV Energy tax credits are here! If you’re planning on taking on energy efficiency projects anytime soon, you could reap major savings on your taxes. For example, if you owe $5,000 in taxes, and you had a tax credit of $2,000 your new tax bill would...

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