Over 150 small businesses, organizations, schools, and local officials appealed to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to restore full funding for a nationally recognized renewable energy program that reduces the cost of solar, wind, and biomass installations for Wisconsin utility customers.

In an open letter delivered to the PSC yesterday, the signers asked the PSC “to exercise its oversight authority over Focus on Energy and restore funding, without delay, for renewables at a level consistent with previous years’ allocations.”

Area authors Ronnie Hess, Joan Peterson, and Brook Soltvedt will be at Arcadia Books, 102 E. Jefferson Street in Spring Green on Saturday, February 11th, 4-6PM, to discuss their guidebooks and provide tips on getting the most out of one’s travel experience.

The richly detailed and well-researched Eat Smart culinary guidebooks explain how to
find the most delicious, authentic, and adventurous eating experiences. They offer an
enjoyable way to explore—both at home or abroad—the clues that food provides about

On February 18 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., families can create art from recyclables, take quizzes, start seeds, see a model train, make buttons, test their smarts about how much energy household items use, compare transit options, and energize themselves at the Monona Public Library. The final Energ!ze Monona event in a series of six, “Families Go Green” is a family-friendly afternoon of fun that will engage young and old in activities designed to enlighten about energy.

The Aldo Leopold Nature Center (ALNC) is seeking volunteers to assist with the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour’s stop in Madison on Tuesday, April 17 and Wednesday, April 18.

This is a terrific opportunity for individuals to see award-winning films for free while helping raise money to support children’s educational programs at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

Volunteer shifts include ushering, setting up and running a bike valet, light clean up. Times vary. To sign up or find out more information, call 608-216-9374 or email devcomm@naturenet.com.

As a first time participant at the World Spirits Competition, Yahara Bay emerged as the gold medal winner in two of the 12 spirit categories. Competing against spirits giants from around the world such as Dewars and Bacardi, four products were selected in each category and given medals; platinum, gold, silver and bronze.

Gold medals were given to Yahara Bay’s Premium Rum and Extra Dry Gin, competing in the White Rum and Gin categories. They were beat only by Don Q Cristal of Puerto Rico in the Rum category and Rogue Spruce of Newport, Oregon for Gin.

Senator Mark Miller has been elected to the Aldo Leopold Nature Center’s Board of Directors, a not-for-profit environmental education organization with campuses in Monona and Black Earth.

No stranger to Wisconsin natural habitats, for new Board member Senator Mark Miller, working with an organization committed to environmental education is a “natural.” Currently, Senator Miller is serving his second term in the Wisconsin Senate, representing the 16th Senate District.

You are invited to join in the next step of our prairie restoration process. We will be weighing and bagging the prairie seeds collected last fall and get them ready to be disbursed to a variety of prairie plantings planned for 2012. We work inside the Dane County Parks Shop located at 4318 Robertson Road, Madison, WI.
The dates are Feb 14, 15 & 16 with shifts 9 am - 12 noon and/or 1pm - 3pm. Please see schedule availability below.
Tuesday, Feb 14
9:00 - 12:00
1:00- 3:00
Wednesday, Feb 15
9:00 - 12:00
1:00- 3:00
Thursday, Feb 16
9:00 - 12:00
1:00- 3:00

The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) hosts its 23rd annual Organic Farming Conference, February 23-25, 2012, at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, WI.

The annual Organic Farming Conference (OFC) is the nation’s largest and foremost educational and networking event for the organic farming community.

The farmer-centered OFC will feature more than 65 informative workshops, 160-plus exhibitors, nationally known keynote speakers, and locally sourced food and live entertainment. MOSES expects attendance to be about 3,000 farmers and agricultural professionals.

Friday, February 3, 2012
5-9 pm

Absolutely Art and Café Zoma are proud to feature the artwork of Megan Monday and Mariko Kostreva for the month of February. Please join us for live music by the FORWARD! Marching Band (http://forwardband.org/), catering by Bunky’s Café and spectacular artwork the night of the reception.

Donations to the CHIP program reached an all-time high in 2011: over $180,000. The CHIP program—a partnership between Community Shares/CHIP and Willy Street Co-op (east and west Co-op locations)—offers Co-op Owners the chance to add a 1% donation to each purchase. Community Shares/CHIP developed the program in 1971. The Co-op became a CHIP site in 1978, and ever since then its Owners have shown steadily growing support for the program.