Sierra Club’s York River Group and Hampton Roads Cool Communities Coalition invite you to attend a Climate Change Forum on Wednesday, May 19, 7:00 to 8:30pm at Sandy Bottom Nature Park, 1255 Big Bethel Road, Hampton, VA. (map)

This forum will discuss what our local communities are doing to reduce carbon emissions, and create more resilient communities, transitioning us toward a more sustainable world.

Forum panelists will include representatives from: Hampton, Gloucester, James City County, New Kent County, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, York County, and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

Providing information on the Virginia Municipal League’s Go Green Government Challenge is Denise Thompson, Manager of Environmental Protection Programs in the City of Norfolk.

Contacts: Randie Trestrail, randiesue@gmail.com, 757-868-7044 or Tyla Matteson, tmatteson1@mindspring.com, 804-275-6476.

The importance of locally grown & organic foods and socially responsible investing is the topic of our next York River Group meeting. Join us Wednesday, November 18, 2009, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. for “Greening Your Money” with the following speakers:

Bev Sell, of Five Points Farm Market in Norfolk, will speak about the importance of supporting locally grown and organic foods, both for our personal health and the need to protect our farmlands. She will emphasize the hope that future farmers will be encouraged to provide this service to an increasingly interested public.

Andy Merchant and William Reyes, of Merrill Lynch investment corporation, specializing in environmentally sustainable investments, will present a power point on how we can invest in trusted, green companies and projects, and why we should consider this type of investment.

We’re meeting at Sandy Bottom Nature Park, 1255 Big Bethel Road, Hampton, VA 23666. For more info, contact Tyla Matteson, Chair, York River Group, (H) 804-275-6476, (C) 804-240-9246, tmatteson1@mindspring.com; or Tom Ellis, Vice Chair, tiellis@gmail.com, (H) 757-722-9785