Together, connected and as a community, we secure a sustainable future for Piedmont

Improvement doesn’t have to come only from big, sweeping changes. Breaking hefty goals into small actionable steps makes movement possible. Although the results may not produce dramatic effects immediately, they will be long lasting.

Coming together as a Connect community can drive real change, influencing our city government to keep moving us toward a sustainable future. Community-driven impacts can ensure that our city continues to address climate change and do the best to meet and hopefully exceed our CAP goals.

Listed below are highlights of Piedmont Connect’s annual impacts. As our supporters, volunteers and members, we hope you take as much pride in Connect’s accomplishments as we do.

“Small things lead to big changes.”

-American Environmental Scientist Allen Hershkowitz

 

2023 Impacts

  • Partnered with League of Women Voters Piedmont to launch a 2022-2023 virtual Climate Speaker Series. 2023 speakers:

    - Paul Gosselin: “Sustainable Ground Water Management in California: The Challenges Ahead”

    - Rupa Basu: “Health Impacts from Heat: What to Know and What You Can Do”

    - Daniel Sperling: “Electric Vehicles: What It Will Take to Deliver on their Promise?”

    - Mark Jacobson: “Transitioning California and the World to 100% Clean, Renewable Energy and Storage for Everything.”

  • Issued a matching grant to the Piedmont High School Green Club to support their Bee-Friendly Flower Project - installing native pollinator plants and irrigation around the PHS campus. The Green Club focuses on helping the community by bringing awareness about environmental issues and acting on them at PHS. They teach students about different environmental problems and offer volunteering opportunities to the students at PHS.

  • Supported community outreach for the City’s Single-family Reach Codes 2.0, Building Electrification Rebate Webinar and Piedmont Electrification Rebate Program.

  • Partnered with local press organizations to supply sustainability/climate-focused content.

  • Promoted the Piedmont Earth Month, East Bay Green Home Tour, 19th Annual Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour, Citizen’s Climate Lobby Home Electrification Fair, Climate Center Envisioning a Climate Safe California Webinar Series.

  • Submitted 2 Heritage Tree nominations and received 1 designation.

 

2022 Impacts

  • Asked City Council and School Board 2022 Candidates sustainability questions and published their answers.

  • Advocated for increased affordable housing placement near transit lines and preservation of Piedmont’s limited parklands in Piedmont’s Housing Element.

  • Identified and nominated Piedmont gardens which qualified for the 18th Annual in-person Bringing Back the Natives Garden Tour and Green Home Features Showcase.

  • Collaborated with Appreciating Diversity Film Series to select climate-related films for their program.

  • Partnered with the Piedmont Recreation Department’s Walking on Wednesdays program to offer and lead 2 Wednesday walking tours to the Piedmont gardens included in the Garden and Green Home Features Tour.

  • Raised community awareness and participation in the 11th annual “Plastic Free July” campaign in cooperation with Berkeley’s Ecology Center and The Story of Stuff.

  • Partnered with League of Women Voters Piedmont to launch a 2022-2023 virtual Climate Speaker Series. 2022 speakers:

    - Rebecca Burgess, “How Textiles Affect Climate Change”

    - Sara Paul, “Wildfire Mitigation in the Bay Area”

  • Appeal campaign to Senator Skinner’s office for supplemental State funding for new Piedmont all-electric pool.

  • Supported community outreach for City’s Reach Code and Electrification Rebate Surveys.

  • Served as a community partner for the 20th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival.

  • Partnered with local press organizations to supply sustainability/climate-focused content.

  • Submitted 3 Heritage Tree nominations and received 1 designation.

  • Partnered with Fillgood, a local zero waste store refill store, to offer Connect members a “Give $10, Get $10” friends and family referral program.

 

2021 Impacts

  • Sponsored Piedmont’s annual Readmont program with $850 grant funding and promotional support.  

  • Raised $17,000 for the PHS/MHS Green Club’s “Students for Solar” campaign, a fundraiser to buy ⅓ of the solar panels needed to move the PHS STEAM building towards its original zero-net-energy design.

  • Partnered with PREC to deliver the Webinar: “Impact Investing - A Tool for Social & Environmental Justice.”

  • Submitted 8 Heritage Tree nominations and received 1 designation.

  • Initiated, authored and donated prizes for a 2-week, outdoor, family-friendly Earth Day Scavenger Hunt utilizing the interactive app, Actionbound, in cooperation with the City’s Sustainability and Recreation Departments. 

  • Hosted a virtual discussion of Ron Howard's 2018 film Rebuilding Paradise with a panel of fire experts including Piedmont's fire captain, Scott Barringer, and our new Fire Chief, Dave Brannigan.

  • Launched and increased enrollment and active participation in Piedmont’s 2019-2021 Climate Challenge to support City Sustainability staff.

  • May Day Spring Festival: Connect organizers and parent volunteers planted and repaired raised bed gardens at the 3 Piedmont Elementary Schools. 

  • Promoted annual Bike to Wherever Day.

  • Co-hosted a panel discussion with LWVP on: “Carbon Pricing to Combat Climate Change” with experts from the Citizens Climate Lobby and Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

  • Delivered a 2-week, Self-Guided Fall Front Garden Tour showcasing the seasonal beauty of 15 Piedmont sustainable and lower-water-use gardens to inspire residents with a variety of options to transition their landscaping to more water-efficient options and supporting greater biodiversity.

  • Hosted Webinar “Living with Drought” with keynote addresses by water expert Eileen White, and water-efficiency advisor, Suzanne Bontempo, featuring presentations by 3 Piedmont residents on a range of water-saving techniques and landscaping improvements. 

  • Researched and authored a scientific feasibility analysis comparing cost-effective, reliable zero-emissions vs fossil-based energy options for heating Piedmont’s new municipal aquatics facility.

  • Curated the East Bay Green Home Tour for Piedmont audiences, pointing out recordings of more relevant homes for Piedmont’s older and larger housing stock and Piedmont’s design limitations.

  • Partnership with Piedmont Makers’ world class Robotics Team to build a PUSD Climate Clock.

  • Offered guided Front Garden Tours with Piedmont Recreation Department’s Walking on Wednesdays program for 2 weeks during the Fall Front Garden Tour.