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Volunteer with us at the Hummingbird Festival on August 19! 

Both educational and inspiring, this festival offers numerous activities from informative exhibits, banding demonstrations, musical entertainment, to children’s storytelling.

WHEN: Saturday, August 19. Volunteer shifts: 8:30am - 12:00pm AND/OR 11:30am - 3pm. (Event takes place from 9am - 3pm.)
WHERE: Reedy Creek Nature Center, 2900 Rocky River Rd. Charlotte, NC 28215.

We're in need volunteers to pass out information about our work at this event. Reply to this email if interested! 

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Join our Biketoberfest planning committee and help make the event a success!

Biketoberfest is sure to be even bigger and better than last year with your help. Committee responsibilities include soliciting raffle items and asking businesses along the route to host a stop. Commitment includes bi-weekly meetings (meetings are approximately one hour long) starting the week of August 21st up until the event. For more information and/or if you are interested in becoming a committee member, please email [email protected].  

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Nominate a neighborhood group, nonprofit or business that is helping to strengthen Charlotte’s neighborhoods!

The Neighborhood Exchange and Leadership Awards (NEXLA) takes place on Saturday, September 23, 2017. Click here to learn more and submit a nomination before the deadline of Friday, August 18. 

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Downtown Columbus Will Buy Bus Rides For 43,000 Workers [Citylab]

"Despite a surge of redevelopment in downtown Columbus, office rents are tumbling and vacancy rates are on the up. The problem, business leaders say: Lack of parking...Now Columbus has found an out-of-the-box solution Columbus’s program shows an optimism among downtown property owners—who have everything to lose—that cars aren’t everything." It's time to dispel the myth of "free parking" in cities. We applaud Columbus for taking this HUGE step to incentivize sustainable transportation and economic development! What do you think, Charlotte?

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A Stark Comparison of Parking Vs. Bike-Share Spaces [Citylab]

"If you want to see one of the most effective advertisements for bike sharing that wasn’t produced by a bike-share program, look no further than this footage of people swarming a [New York] Citi Bike station while cars sit parked right across the street." We love this visual that clearly shows the benefits of Bike-Share! Learn more about Charlotte's bike-share system (Charlotte B-cycle) here!

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* TONIGHT (August 9): Mayoral Forum hosted by Sustain Charlotte + UNC Charlotte's Integrated Network for Social Sustainability (INSS): In lieu of our traditional Monthly Mixer in August, we'll be co-hosting a mayoral forum focused on sustainability issues in Charlotte! Join us from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m to learn where our 2017 mayoral candidates stand on important issues shaping the future of Charlotte. You'll hear the mayoral candidates' opinions and plans for the city, prompted by questions from INSS faculty and Sustain Charlotte staff. 

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SAVE THE DATE -- October 22: Biketoberfest is a unique event that lets you discover how easy it is to get around Charlotte without driving! Bike around town to sponsoring businesses while collecting stamps in your official Biketoberfest Passport. The stamps you collect on your passport at official destinations will be entered in a raffle for many fantastic prizes! Then, gather for an after party celebration with live music and an exciting raffle! This is a family-friendly event. Ticket sales will be opening soon!

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August 12: It's never too early to Learn to Ride a two-wheeler, or help others learn by volunteering!

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August 19: The 10th Annual Hummingbird Festival will celebrate the migration of hummingbirds through the area and nature itself.  Both educational and inspiring, the festival attracts over 1,500 attendees and offers numerous activities from informative exhibits, banding demonstrations, musical entertainment, to children’s storytelling. 

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We're happy to announce that Domtar has renewed their membership in the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network at the Bronze level! 

As a leader in sustainability, Domtar is focused on being an ethical and transparent supply chain partner that makes the products we all use every day. They do this by caring for our people and communities, practicing efficient manufacturing and promoting responsible sourcing and logistics.  To learn more about how Domtar is working smart for the long term, visit www.domtar.com/sustainability. 

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MANY THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS