Join the Iowa Environmental Council on Thursday, October 6, 2016 for their 2016 Annual Conference, ECOnomics: Dollars, sense & sustainability. This year's conference will explore the bond between the environment, communities and economy and will delve into how to seize opportunities to advance policies, programs and practices that offer ecological, economic and societal benefits. Early bird registrations ends Sept. 2, 2016. For more information and to register, go to http://www.iaenvironment.org/get-involved/council-events/annual-conference/

Over the next year, the City of Des Moines will be updating their very old and outdated zoning code. This is a great opportunity for 1000 Friends of Iowa to encourage the city to codify smart growth and sustainability! Today in a special P&Z meeting we will hear an update from consultants the city hired to help with the new plan. Click here for today's agenda.

This bike ride is a fun way to get more involved with the Pipeline Resistance Movement, that is not only happening in Standing Rock, but also all throughout Iowa.  This bike ride will raise funds and awareness for the No Bakken Legal Defense Fund. Enjoy music by Steve and Michaela McLain, food, and bikes. Children are welcome! The bike ride will be on the Chichaqua Valley Trail. Meeting in Bondurant around 10 a.m. then heading towards Mingo to arrive there by…

You’re invited to the University of Iowa to join this cross-sector collaboration aimed to elevate intercultural perspectives and build policy presence for deeper consideration of rural creative placemaking. Held October 12-14, 2016 at the University of Iowa, this gathering will share reflections from Regional Network members, connect lessons across geographies, and present a sustained argument for the centrality of rural creative placemaking – as a field, and as a strategy for development and community sustainability. For the schedule of events…

Please join the Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club for a day of food, conversation, interesting ideas, and celebration for the Iowa Chapter’s Annual Dinner.  The dinner will be local and sustainably produced foods prepared by the extraordinary chef, Donna Prizgintas. Donna was the personal chef to many well-known Hollywood stars including Warren Beatty, Annette Bennng and Norman Lear. Two engaging speakers include Alison Hawthorne Deming, a compelling essayist and poet. You may have read her work in Sierra.  She will be…

Jeff Speck, author of Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time will speak Monday, Oct. 24, at 6:30 p.m. at the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St., Iowa City. The event is free and open to the public. Speck is a city planner and urban designer who advocates for more sustainable cities. In his latest book, Walkable City, Speck writes that creating a walkable city is more than constructing sidewalks. Instead, the urban…

Join The Iowa Association for Energy Efficiency (IAEE) from 12:30-3:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 for the Emerging Professionals Workshop.  The workshop is open to all industry professionals – whether you’re “breaking in” or an “old hat” this added event will have something for you.  Learn more about the workshop here. Dr. Holmes Hummel will kick off the Summit as keynote speaker.  Dr. Hummel is the founder of Clean Energy Works which "connects champions of energy efficiency and renewable energy with resources…

Join the Science Center of Iowa as they explore the delicate relationship between nitrogen’s necessity and the societal implications of excess nitrogen on ourselves and our landscapes with Dr. Peter Levi. Dr. Peter Levi is an assistant professor in environmental science and policy at Drake University. His research investigates patterns and processes in freshwater ecosystems, combining physical, chemical, and biological measurements to understand the connections between the components of these dynamic ecosystems. Dr. Levi's current projects seek to explain the controls…