What’s New – A-CM Regional Hub

Recent Updates:

SAVE The DATE: Feb. 23rd

Atlantic – Cape May County Green Teams Regional Hub

Workshop on Grant Writing – Project Visioning

The Sustainable Jersey Atlantic-Cape May Counties Regional Hub will hold an in-person workshop on Grant Writing … on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, at 6 pm, at the Ocean City Free Public Library, 1735 Simpson Ave, Ocean City, NJ, US, 08226.

The free event will focus on helping local Green Teams.

Please RSVP on this page. > https://bit.ly/A-CMHub23Feb2023

See Feb. 23rd meeting page – here – for additional information.

The Atlantic-Cape May Hub was formed to bring local green teams in the two counties together to share resources and to support each other.

These periodic A-CM Hub Mixers are an informative way to help share ideas and to find opportunities to partner on projects and initiatives.

There is no cost to attend but interested residents and municipal officials are encouraged to register online with this page.

Light refreshments will be served.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own water.

Regardless of whether your municipality has a “green team” or is registered with Sustainable Jersey, everyone is welcome.

Watch this A-CM Regional Hub website for additional information.

Bookmark the A-CM Hub’s Eventbrite page for future meetings and events.
https://Atlantic-Cape-May-SJ-Regional-Hub.eventbrite.com

Updated 13 Feb 2023 ##

“Finding Ecohappiness” SBG Feb. 21st Zoom

The Sustainable Book Group (SBG) for Ocean City and Upper Twp. will be discussing Finding Ecohappiness by Sandi Schwartz on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023, @ 7 pm, via Zoom.

Register in advance to receive the Zoom link for this meeting: https://bit.ly/SBG21FebZoom

Monthly SBG discussions feature books about the changing climate / environment and related topics.

Full details on SBG page here.

  • Posted 22 Jan 2023

Click Graphic for Webinar Recording – Mar. 2022

My Coast – NJ’s Changing Coastline
Webinar (Part 1) 21 Mar 2022

Presenter: Vanessa Tropiano, JCNERR Coastal Training Program Coordinator from the
Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve
MyCoastNJ App Explained in “Changing Coastline” Webinar – Video Here
Recording features segment on the My Coast NJ app for citizen scientist coastline monitoring photos and also includes an explanation of the online NJ Floodmapper modeling tool.

For other Hub webinars / videos, see the Sustainable Atlantic – Cape May Green Teams Hub YouTube Channelhttps://bit.ly/SustainableACMHub

(TBD)

  • Re-Posted 05 Sep 2022

Atlantic – Cape May County Green Teams Regional Hub Mixer
“Securing Healthy Food for All” Aug. 24th, 2022

Watch for follow-on updates, see Aug. 24th Mixer page here > https://atlanticcapemayregionalhub.wordpress.com/a-cm-regional-hub-meeting-food-aug-24-2022/

Photo gallery for the event posted on Hub FB page.

  • Posted 28 Aug 2022

Hub Mixer “Securing Healthy Food for All” Aug. 24th

SAVE The DATE:
Atlantic – Cape May County Green Teams Regional Hub
Mixer “Securing Healthy Food for All” Aug. 24th

The Sustainable Jersey Atlantic-Cape May Counties Regional Hub will hold an in-person mixer to offer information on “securing healthy food for all” on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022, at 6 pm, at Reed’s Organic Farm, 5075 Spruce Ave., Egg Harbor Township.

The free event will focus on helping local Green Teams to successfully take on Sustainable Jersey food actions. To register, click here > https://bit.ly/ACMHubAug24Meeting

For more details and future updates, see Aug. 24th Mixer page here.

  • Posted 25 July 2022

Hub – Aug. 2022 – Mixer Plans – Food Actions

Per our Hub Steering Committee Zoom meeting this week, related to conversation for having a Hub gathering this summer focused around the topic of “food and nutrition,” here is a list of six (6) related Actions. (Others will be added in the future.)

Food – A-CM County Green Teams with these certified Actions (June 2022):
Buy Fresh Buy Local Programs
Community Food Pantry/Bank & Soup Kitchen
Expanded Supplemental Food Programs
Farmers Markets

Making Farmers Markets Accessible
Community Gardens

See attached:

## – Posted 11 Jun 2022

Sustainable Book Club – see update for June 21st Zoom.

Sustainable Book Group is with the Upper Twp. Green Team and Upper Cape Sustainability

## – Posted 11 Jun 2022

Green Schools in Atlantic and Cape May Counties
Focus of Sustainable Jersey Hub Mixer May 18th

The Sustainable Jersey Atlantic-Cape May Counties Regional Hub will hold a special in-person mixer to offer information on “green schools” on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at 6pm, at Hidden Sands Brewery, 6754 Washington Ave., Egg Harbor Township.

The free event will highlight local school champions and resources available to schools.   

School and municipality Green Team members are encouraged to attend. In addition, education and local government officials and staff are invited.  Please register online >  https://bit.ly/ACMHubMay18Meeting . Light refreshments will be served along with a cash bar.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools is a certification program for public schools in New Jersey that want to go green, conserve resources and take steps to create a brighter future. The program was launched in 2014 by Sustainable Jersey, an organization that provides tools, training and financial incentives to support and reward municipalities and schools as they pursue sustainability programs. To date, 1,050 schools are participating in the program.

Like Sustainable Jersey ‘s municipal certification program, Sustainable Jersey for Schools outlines specific actions that schools can take that help them to go green and improve over the long term.  The program also provides grants; Sustainable Jersey for Schools has awarded over $2.6 million in grants to schools and school districts.  

“The May 18 mixer is a great way to shine a light on what some of the amazing educators, administrators and school staff in our area have achieved through the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program and to hear about some of the resources that can help schools and towns that are on a path toward sustainable future,” said JoAnna Contarino from the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program.  She will be at the event to give an overview and to answer questions.

Sustainable Jersey for Schools will help schools improve efficiency, cut waste and contribute to students’ environmental and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.  “It’s important to bring people together to share ideas on how to advance sustainability initiatives in their local communities,” said Ralph Cooper, co-chair for the Atlantic Cape May Hub.

Cooper also noted that collaboration, between school and municipality Green Teams, can be beneficial while maintaining a high level of community awareness and the sustainment of established programs.

The Atlantic-Cape May Hub was formed to bring local green teams in the two counties together to share resources and to support each other. Hub co-chair Amy Menzel adds, “Hub events are a fun and informative way to help people to share ideas and to find opportunities to partner on projects and initiatives.”

Regardless of whether your school or municipality has a “green team” or is registered with Sustainable Jersey, everyone is welcome to the event at Hidden Sands Brewery located at 6754 Washington Avenue in Egg Harbor Township on Wednesday, May 18 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 

There is no cost to attend but interested residents and municipal officials are encouraged to register online;  https://bit.ly/ACMHubMay18Meeting . Light refreshments will be served along with a cash bar; representatives from Sustainable Jersey will be on hand along with local green team members.

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  • 09 May 2022 (Final)
  • 07 May 2022
May 18th Mixer

Atlantic – Cape May Co. Sustainable Jersey Green Teams

2022 New Jersey Sustainability Summit 

2022 New Jersey Sustainability Summit 

Save the date for the 2022 New Jersey Sustainability Summit: Friday, June 24, 2022
at Bell Works in Holmdel, NJ. #NJSustainabilitySummit
RSVP – Registration > https://www.sustainablejersey.com/events/2022-sustainability-summit/

– Posted 24 Mar 2022

Our Changing Coastline” Presentation

March 18th Featuring MyCoastNJ App

The Atlantic-Cape May Sustainable Jersey Regional Hub held a virtual Coastal Awareness presentation and explanation of the “MyCoast New Jersey” app on Friday, Mar. 18, 2022 at 12 noon.
New Jersey Coastal waters are changing. Tides are getting higher and nuisance flooding is becoming more frequent. Coastal flooding just doesn’t affect barrier islands and coastal communities; it affects all tidal waterways, the rivers, streams and creeks that reach far inland.
To have a better understanding of coastal storms and rising tides, and to show how ordinary citizens can contribute informative data on sea level rise, the Atlantic-Cape May Sustainable Jersey Hub invited Vanessa Tropiano from the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve and Atlantic City Press meteorologist Joe Martucci to discuss the science behind coastal flooding and how to use the “MyCoast” app.
The MyCoast: New Jersey >https://mycoast.org/nj records photos and data on areas that experience high tides and stormwater flooding. This app allows citizens to contribute photos and information to help scientists and city planners make better decisions through the data collected.

A recording of the webinar can be viewed from the Hub’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_8Bt5b_8ec&t=177s

Here are some links shared during the presentation:

CRS Flood Insurance Rating:
https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/documents/fema-crs-eligible-communities_apr-2022.pdf
Rutgers STAP Report:
https://climatechange.rutgers.edu/images/STAP_FINAL_FINAL_12-4-19.pdf
MyCoast:
https://mycoast.org/nj
NJ Floodmapper:
https://www.njfloodmapper.org/
Guidance on Master Plan requirement for resilience:
https://nj.gov/state/planning/assets/pdf/resilience-plan-guide.pdf

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  • Updated 21 Mar 2022

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Ready Set Bag Up NJ 

The DEP, NJ Business Action Center and the NJ Clean Communities Council are working together to help businesses and communities understand and comply with the law. A new website at www.nj.gov/dep/plastic-ban-law   includes helpful information for regulated entities, including a Frequently Asked Questions page, a list of establishments and how the law impacts them, a copy of the law, and more. 

Additionally, the NJ Business Action Center has created a clearinghouse at https://business.nj.gov/bags/vendorclearinghouse  to aid businesses in identifying vendors and manufacturers who sell the reusable carryout bags permitted by the new law. 

Or call the NJBAC “Bags” hotline at 866-534-7789 for questions about business compliance.

To learn more about the Clean Communities Council’s Bag Up NJ campaign, visit www.bagupnj.com  For a video about BagUp NJ, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxxIrduooSk
Note: To reduce plastics pollution statewide, food-service businesses may provide single-use plastic straws to a customer only upon request, according to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and NJ Business Action Center.

See Link for posted text:
https://njclean.org/images/DOCUMENTS/Straw-press-release-102721.pdf
– Posted 05 Mar. 2022

Plastics Reduction – the bag ban is coming!
Learn about new laws in NJ

Join the online forum Wednesday, March 23 when Sustainable Jersey will host state and regional experts to discuss the upcoming changes that will impact businesses and customers. Find out about resources, ask questions and learn more about how you can help your community prepare. There is no cost to attend, and the meeting is open to everyone. Click on the button to learn more and to register.

  • Posted 28 Feb 22

Friends Along the Mullica Film and Workshop Series

– Friends of the Mullica

Have you seen this great locally produced documentary? With help from a grant from Sustainable Jersey, Go Green Galloway’s Steve Fiedler drew on the knowledge of local historians, scientists, educators, leaders and others to follow the Mullica River from Hammonton to Atlantic City and Brigantine and to learn how it connects the towns, shaping the past and connecting the eight towns as they address present and future challenges.

Link to view film > Here.

Catch the online series of workshops, each focusing on a different issue. Next up…

Wednesday, February 16 @ 7 pm
Invasive Species

Other upcoming events in the series:

Storm Water Management
March 24th, 2022. 7:00pm-8:00pm
Speakers: Rutgers Cooperative Extension County Agent II / Associate Professor, Steven Yergeau
How to Join: https://rutgers.zoom.us/…/tJ0qduqrpzoqE9OJivFK3jMdee9Gc…

Climate Change Panel Discussion
April 27th, 2022. 7:00pm-8:00pm
Speakers: The Jacques Cousteau Reserve’s Coastal Training Program Coordinator, Vanessa Tropiano; Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences Professor Emeritus, Ken Able; Long Beach Township’s Sustainability Coordinator, Angela Andersen
How to Join: https://rutgers.zoom.us/…/tJUkcOmspj4vE9NG7wlsx5OCUxhNJ…

You can learn more about the project and watch the film here.

  • Updated 13 Feb 22

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Scientific Approach to Global Warming and Climate Change
Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021 – 9:30 am 

Rutgers Environmental Stewards Symposium – Sponsored by  Cape May City

Presentations: New Jersey’s Changing Climate, Resiliency Challenges In A Changing Climate, and Where Do We Go From Here At The Local Level.

Cape May City Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave., Cape May NJ 08240
Networking opportunity starts at 9:30 am. – Program 10 am – 1 pm
Program Host:  Virginia Hesel, Moderator, Rutgers Environmental Steward, 2019
RSVP – Register Here > https://bit.ly/ClimateChange06NovCapeMayNJ

See Press Release Copy > psa_Climate Change program Nov 6 Press Release.pdf

Climate Change Symposium – Cape May City – Nov. 6th

Host: Rutgers Environmental Steward, 2019, Virginia Hesel
Rutgers Environmental Steward 2019, Virginia was an educator and middle school principal in public and independent schools for forty years in Manhattan and Brooklyn, NY and Cambridge and Boston, MA. She has been interested in global warming and climate change since the 1980’s. Virginia has an M.A. from Teacher’s College, Columbia University, was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia and is a member of the NGO, Friends of Liberia.
She will serve as moderator for the symposium.

Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University  > https://www.monmouth.edu/uci/
Sustainable Smart Cities Research Center > https://www.uab.edu/engineering/smartcities/
New Jersey Climate Adaptation Alliance > https://njadapt.rutgers.edu/
Sustainable Jersey > https://www.sustainablejersey.com/
Sustainable Jersey for Schools > https://www.sustainablejerseyschools.com/
Rutgers Environmental Stewards > https://envirostewards.rutgers.edu/
Rutgers Environmental Steward Program @ ACUA  http://www.acua.com/stewards/?terms=Environmental%20Stewards
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  • Posted 31 Oct 2021

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Citizens Campaign – Community “no-blame” problem solving leadership training

Virtual – Livestream, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021 @ 7 pm
Mercer County Community College’s new Citizen Leadership Center.
See video here>
https://vimeo.com/616489116?fbclid=IwAR2eJdf0vBikYrTAPjiu0Ig5YGHf5CS2MjWlizdr5RVkAXDKoE2MSNhB0Ac#%5D.+
Nov. 10th registration >
https://thecitizenscampaign.org/celebration-of-citizen-service/

– Posted 01 Nov 2021

A-CM Reginal Hub Tree Program
@ Linwood, NJ Arboretum

Trees are the focus of an upcoming event at the Linwood Arboretum hosted by the Atlantic Cape May Sustainable Jersey Hub, Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 5 p.m.

On Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, at 5 p.m., the Atlantic Cape May County Sustainable Jersey Regional Hub will host an event focused on trees at the Linwood Arboretum, located at 1410 Wabash Ave, Linwood, NJ 08221.

The Linwood Arboretum website > https://linwoodarboretum.org

Trees provide a wide range of powerful benefits – more than many people stop to consider.

Often, people think about trees when raking up leaves or picking up fallen branches after a storm, while they’re considering the time, effort or expense they are expending.

For registration: https://bit.ly/ACMHub10AugTreeProgram

The Atlantic Cape May County Sustainable Jersey Hub, a collaboration of green teams across the two counties, invites you to learn more about the value these silent sentinels provide: from taking in carbon dioxide, producing oxygen, providing shade, lowering air temperatures, slowing water runoff, preventing soil erosion, to supporting wildlife and our economy and much more.

At the Aug. 10th event, participants will learn about many local initiatives as well as resources which are available to municipalities to protect trees and to increase the tree canopy in urban and suburban areas.

This fast-paced information session will be followed by an informative guided walk through the Arboretum.  

For more information: 

Registration: https://bit.ly/ACMHub10AugTreeProgram

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticCapeMayHub
Website: https://atlanticcapemayregionalhub.wordpress.com/  

Email: SustainableACMHub@gmail.com

– Posted 02 Aug. 2021

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Register online:
Day 1 Monday, March 22 | 6-7 p.m. > http://bit.ly/OurWaterACMHub
Day 2 Tuesday, March 23 | 12-1 p.m. > http://bit.ly/OurWaterACMHub

– Posted 08 Mar 2021

Round Table PDF flier with links > Click Below

What: Energy Efficiency Q&A Round Table

When: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 @ 12 noon on Zoom

Registration for this meeting:  https://bit.ly/QA01DecREERoundTable

For information on implementation for the steps on Residential Energy Efficiency Outreach Action in your town, see additional details on this page.

Updated 22 Nov. 2020

Community Preparedness Webinar – Sept. 23rd

Webinar Recording on the Hub Facebook video library – See (Part 2) recording

  • Updated 04 Feb 2021

WHAT: Hub Event – Emergency Planning & Resilience

WHEN:  Part 2 – Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 | 6:30 p.m.

Webinar Focus: Community Preparedness Actions

6-2 R-E-2 Extreme Temperature Event Plan
6-2-A R-E-2 Heat Island Assessment
6-3 R-E-2 Community Wildfire Protection Plans
6-4 R-E-2 Firewise Community
6-5 R-E-2 Ready Set GO! Fire Company
6-6 R-E-2 Wildfire Safety Council

EMERGENCY PLANNING focused on emergency comm. and Vulnerable Populations actions.
6-7 R-E-3 Emergency Communications Planning
6-8 R-E-3 Vulnerable populations Identification for Emergencies

.For RSVP and to receive Zoom link >

http://bit.ly/HubEmergResilience

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  • Update 04 Sept. 2020

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WHAT: Hub Event – Emergency Planning & Resilience

WHEN:Part 1 – Friday, Aug. 28, 2020 | 12 – 1 p.m.
              Part 2 – Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2020 | 6:30 p.m.

REGISTER:http://bit.ly/HubEmergResilience

  • Posted 14 Aug. 2020
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Welcome to our new site!

Please check back often and see What’s New as we build out this public-facing website about sustainable topics for communities in Atlantic and Cape May Counties here in southern New Jersey.

We are 35 Green Teams, collaborating on a range impactful topics.

For more information about Sustainable Jersey, visit the program website here.

NJDEP
SUSTAINABILITY FUNDING & INCENTIVE GUIDE

 Steve Rinaldi from the NJDEP shared a document from their website that lists a lot of grant opportunities that are available to municipalities, non-profits and others. There may some items of interest for your town or other groups you work in partnership with. It’s nice to see a lot of opportunities in one document!  https://www.nj.gov/dep/aqes/docs/IncentiveGuide.pdf

  • Posted 03 Aug. 2020

Farmers Markets in Atlantic & Cape May Counties

See the full list of Farmers Markets in Atlantic and Cape May County here.

See the fresh new example for help battling Invasive Plants with the new brochure produced by the West Cape May Environmental Commission. Notation posted on this Hub website here.

Protector of New Jersey’s Great Egg Harbor River
https://6abc.com/timely-river-nature-pollution/6236364/

Sustainable Atlantic Cape May Hub YouTube Channel
> https://bit.ly/SustainableACMHub

New post for online Rain Barrel Workshop May 27th @ 7 pm. Click Here.

Check out the list for the Sustainable Jersey Virtual Summit sessions here. 

For our Hub site development notes, click here.

Last page update 25 July 2022

Prior versions: 11 Apr 2020

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