Inspired by other neighborhood climate clubs, one Ashland resident brings the model to his own block
In January of 2025, Jay Preskenis went door-to-door in his Oak Street neighborhood with a mission: to bring neighbors together and talk about climate change.
The goal was to start a climate club — a space where people could collaborate to make their community more resilient to disasters like wildfire, while inspiring one another to reduce their own climate impact. Jay currently serves as Ashland Climate Collaborative’s Community Outreach Specialist,
Although Jay was nervous to knock on doors, his efforts paid off. A few weeks later, 15 people gathered in his living room, eager to connect and take action.
“People just started making connections right away,” Jay said. And with that, the Oak Street Climate Club was born.
A Growing Network of Climate Clubs
The Oak Street Climate Club isn’t the first of its kind. In 2019, neighbors on Allison Street formed Ashland’s first climate club, meeting monthly to discuss climate-related topics, share food, and socialize.
With the support of the Ashland Climate Collaborative, volunteer Jim Hartman founded the Clay Street Climate Club in 2022. Soon after, he launched the Neighborhood Climate Action Network, to support the clubs and provide training for new leaders.
Jay had attended several Clay Street meetings before starting his own and saw firsthand how impactful they could be. “It was phenomenal,” he said. “A delight to see people asking questions, being honest, and thinking out loud.”
At one meeting, local home-energy expert Ben Scott spoke about heat pumps, ultra-efficient electric appliances that both heat and cool. Jay was so energized by the presentation that he went out and bought his own less than a month later.
Getting to Know the Neighborhood
When it came time to hold his first meeting, Jay started with food and an open-ended question. As neighbors shared what had brought them to Ashland, the stories flowed, and so did the laughter.
Then the group shifted to that evening’s topic: firewise landscaping and home construction. Using materials from the Ashland Fire Department, Jay led his neighbors outside to compare two nearby yards, beginning with his own.
“My yard is a bit like my personality — kind of wonky. We have bunnies, ducks, two dogs, and a brush pile that is definitely not good for fire,” Jay said. “People were like ‘Jay, you get a D-.’” Meanwhile, they gave the second yard, which was neatly landscaped with native plants, an A-.
The exercise clearly engaged people. Soon, a core group of about ten neighbors started meeting regularly, joined by others who dropped in occasionally. Together, they learned about topics ranging from Ashland’s recycling system to emergency preparedness.
But the real impact, Jay said, happened outside his living room — in front yards, on sidewalks, and at the field where neighbors walk their dogs. “One guy walks by our house all the time and stops to talk to me about anything he’s doing related to the climate,” Jay said.
Perhaps most rewarding has been seeing new connections form among neighbors. Despite living just down the street from each other, many club members had never really interacted before.
“People have busy lives,” Jay said. “You get home from work, talk to your kids, take them to sports.” Now, there’s a stronger sense of community — one where people look out for each other. When a neighbor recently mentioned that his gutters needed cleaning, Jay offered to bring over his ladder and help.
Building Community, One Conversation at a Time
For all the benefits the club has brought to Oak Street, getting started wasn’t as hard as Jay expected. “We meet every other month, so there isn’t much of a time commitment,” he said. “The hardest part was knocking on strangers’ doors.”
Those awkward introductions were smoothed by his dogs and 11-year-old twins, who tagged along — and they paid off.
Today, Jay enters each meeting with an open mind, ready to listen and let conversations flow from the group’s interests.
“Climate clubs are driven by the people in the room,” Jay said. “I’m just a facilitator.”
Are you interested in starting a climate club? Our team is here to help! From knocking on doors to materials about climate – we’d love to help you in your neighborhood.