Homer Drawdown

Draft Transportation Plan Public Meeting

The City of Homer released their Draft 20-year Comprehensive Non-Motorized Transportation Plan this month. Last fall, we collectively submitted hundreds of site specific comments sharing first hand experience of streetscapes in town that are unsafe or unenjoyable for a walker or biker and need improvement. Now, we have until Oct. 10th to provide comments in response to the draft plan. Attend the public meeting on the 26th this month to make sure your comments are heard or submit them directly to homer.transportationplan@kinneyeng.com.

Community Peatland Survey Planning Meeting

Join our volunteer effort to “put peat on the map” with community science surveys. Learn to measure the depth of peat, identify plant communities, and enjoy a hands-on experience in the field. 

Education, Art and Outreach Planning Meeting

Middle-out climate solutions are very powerful because they engage communities and inspire connections. We are planning many inclusive activities and programs that will bring peatlands to the hearts and minds of everyone.

Peatland Botany and Ecology Workshop #2 w/ Ed Berg

This month we are exploring Peatland Botany and Ecology with Homer Ecologist Ed Berg. This three part workshop series will cover the origin of peatlands on the Kenai Peninsula, identification of common peatland plants, and peatlands as archives of climate history.

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our monthly meeting about our community climate action project - protecting the carbon sequestration function of local peatlands through education, citizen science and conservation initiatives. Collectively we are working towards developing a shared sense of climate stewardship in relationship with our local peatland.

Conservation and Policy Planning Meeting

Our voices are meaningful and our values are important to local policy makers and land managers. Join our collective call that peatlands are worthy of protection.

Peatland Botany and Ecology Workshop #3 w/ Ed Berg

This month we are exploring Peatland Botany and Ecology with Homer Ecologist Ed Berg. This three part workshop series will cover the origin of peatlands on the Kenai Peninsula, identification of common peatland plants, and peatlands as archives of climate history.

Education, Art and Outreach Planning Meeting

Middle-out climate solutions are very powerful because they engage communities and inspire connections. We are planning many inclusive activities and programs that will bring peatlands to the hearts and minds of everyone.

Community Peatland Survey Planning Meeting

Join our volunteer effort to “put peat on the map” with community science surveys. Learn to measure the depth of peat, identify plant communities, and enjoy a hands-on experience in the field. 

Restoration Project Scouting Trip

Join our exploration and pilot trials of several small scale peatland restoration strategies. This month we will meet in person at the Homer Demonstration Forest (Roger's Loop near Baycrest) to do a walk through and scout for potential projects.

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our monthly meeting about our community climate action project - protecting the carbon sequestration function of local peatlands through education, citizen science and conservation initiatives. Collectively we are working towards developing a shared sense of climate stewardship in relationship with our local peatland.

Peatland Community Survey: Train the Trainers event

Join our volunteer effort to “put peat on the map” with community science surveys. Learn to measure the depth of peat, identify plant communities, and enjoy a hands-on experience in the field. This first session will allow us to review our protocol and establish volunteer trainers that will be able to help facilitate our peatland community survey events throughout the season and to conduct small group or individual surveys on demand. Join us!

Sheryl Reily welcoming potluck and beach fire

Come join us as we welcome Bunnell Street Art's Center's artist in residence Sheryl Reily! Come at 7 for the potluck, or after to just visit.

Conservation and Policy Planning Meeting

Our voices are meaningful and our values are important to local policy makers and land managers. Join our collective call that peatlands are worthy of protection.

Sheryl Reily artist talk

Hear from Sheryl Reily about her artwork and collaboration of Bunnell Street Art's Center artist residency projgram and the arts outreach of Homer Drawdown: Peatland Project in this virtual artist talk. Register with Bunnell at the link provided. 

Education, Art and Outreach Planning Meeting

Middle-out climate solutions are very powerful because they engage communities and inspire connections. We are planning many inclusive activities and programs that will bring peatlands to the hearts and minds of everyone.

Community Peatland Survey Planning Meeting

Join our volunteer effort to “put peat on the map” with community science surveys. Learn to measure the depth of peat, identify plant communities, and enjoy a hands-on experience in the field. 

Peatland Restoration Projects

We are exploring trials of several small scale peatland restoration strategies. Meet at Roger's Loop trailhead at 4:30 where we will gather and head out to our study sites. Please dress to be in the wetlands, wear rubber boots and be prepared for bugs.

Peatland Survey Training

Field-based community monitor training facilitated by Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. During this field-based workshop in Homer, participants will interact with a diverse group of local researchers and conservation advocates, learn and practice peatland monitoring techniques, and make connections with team leads to participate in monitoring efforts over the summer and fall of 2021. 

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our monthly meeting about our community climate action project - protecting the carbon sequestration function of local peatlands through education, citizen science and conservation initiatives. Collectively we are working towards developing a shared sense of climate stewardship in relationship with our local peatland.

Peatland Community Survey

Join our volunteer effort to “put peat on the map” with community science surveys. Meet at 10:00 am at the gravel parking lot where the south end of the Old Sterling Hwy meets the Sterling Hwy. We will split into teams and your Team Leads will guide you to our survey sites in the surrounding peatlands. Light lunch will be provided. Surveys should wrap up by about 2:00 pm. Please be prepared to spend time in the wetlands by wearing boots, dressing for the weather, bring water and be prepared for bugs. Go to the PEAT MAP tab above to sign up!

Conservation and Policy Planning Meeting

Our voices are meaningful and our values are important to local policy makers and land managers. Join our collective call that peatlands are worthy of protection.

Community Peatland Survey Planning Meeting

Join our volunteer effort to “put peat on the map” with community science surveys. Learn to measure the depth of peat, identify plant communities, and enjoy a hands-on experience in the field. 

Education, Art and Outreach Planning Meeting

Middle-out climate solutions are very powerful because they engage communities and inspire connections. We are planning many inclusive activities and programs that will bring peatlands to the hearts and minds of everyone.

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our monthly meeting about our community climate action project - protecting the carbon sequestration function of local peatlands through education, citizen science and conservation initiatives. Collectively we are working towards developing a shared sense of climate stewardship in relationship with our local peatland.

Peatland Community Survey

Join our effort to 'put peat on the map' with our Community Peatland Surveys! This is our second Community Peatland Survey and all are welcome to join our effort to survey the peatland around McNeil Canyon. A Survey Team Lead will guide you to the peatland and through the monitoring protocol. We will meet at 10:00 am at the McNeil Canyon Elementary School parking lot to split into groups and be finished up by about 2:00 pm. Lunch will be provided! Please sign up under the Peat Survey tab.

Community Peatland Survey Planning Meeting

Join our volunteer effort to “put peat on the map” with community science surveys. Learn to measure the depth of peat, identify plant communities, and enjoy a hands-on experience in the field. 

Peatland Celebration

Come join our celebration of peatlands! This event will showcase the collaborative work of the Homer Drawdown: Peatland Project including Art for Peat, Artist in Residence Sheryl Reily, results of the peatland surveys and personal stories, fundraiser, botany talk, music, cupcakes and joy! We are taking Covid precautions and this will be both an indoor and outdoor event.

Peatland Community Survey

Join our effort to 'put peat on the map' with our Community Peatland Surveys! This is our second Community Peatland Survey and all are welcome to join our effort to survey the peatland around McNeil Canyon. A Survey Team Lead will guide you to the peatland and through the monitoring protocol. We will meet at 10:00 am at the McNeil Canyon Elementary School parking lot to split into groups and be finished up by about 2:00 pm. Lunch will be provided! Please sign up under the Peat Survey tab.

Conservation Group Meeting

The second public meeting for the airport improvement project is Thursday the 21st. Join us on Tuesday the 19th to strategize peatland specific recommendations and prepare comments for the meeting. Look for more specific information about the airport public meeting in a follow up email next week.

Homer Drawdown Monthly Coordination Meeting

Join for an open discussion to debrief our season's successes and challenges, hear a treasurers report, and discuss next steps for the Peatland Project. We will reserve time during the second half of the meeting to discuss possible paths forward for selecting our next local climate solution project to organize and implement as the Homer Drawdown community.

Homer Drawdown: Our Next Climate Solution

Homer Drawdown is launching into a new chapter! Join us Thursday January 20th at 6pm to kick off a review process of our top climate solutions. Together we will revisit and refine 5 of our remaining top 9 solutions while creating space for new exciting solutions to emerge. Our January kick off meeting will examine solutions related to: Community Compost Affordable Heat Pumps Non-Motorized Transportation Register in advance for this meeting by clicking the Zoom Meeting Link button above. Homer Drawdown is a collaboration which assess, votes on, and implements climate solutions. All Homer area community members are invited to participate. We believe climate solutions organized by and for the community have a powerful impact on our collective wellness and climate resiliency.

Our Climate Solutions

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our monthly meeting about our community climate action project - protecting the carbon sequestration function of local peatlands through education, citizen science and conservation initiatives. Collectively we are working towards developing a shared sense of climate stewardship in relationship with our local peatland.

Peatland Project 2022 Kickoff Meeting

Homer Drawdown 2.0 Solution Selection!

During this meeting we will review our top project ideas and vote on our next climate solution project! Stay tuned for details. If you are new to Homer Drawdown, please sign up on the homepage to receive updates and an invitation to register for the meeting.

Peatland Community Science Meeting

Non-motorized Transportation Kick Off

Hey Drawdown, it's time to reconnect! Thank you for being understanding as we shuffled this meeting date around last week. We look forward to seeing tomorrow (Wednesday) at 6pm to begin setting ourselves up for a year of problem solving and action to improve walking and biking culture in Homer. At this fledgling stage of the project, we know where we are heading and the opportunities to help direct a part of how we get there are abundant. As a reminder: during this meeting we will review the goals of the project and begin to organize working committees. Each meeting over the coming months will include a short presentation from a non motorized community expert to provide insight on the lay of the land in terms of non-motorized transportation efforts, opportunities and barriers in Homer. This Wednesday, we will hear from Matt Steffy who will share the Parks perspective on walking and biking in Homer and identify hands on immediate opportunities for improvements. Also on the agenda: a hive mind brainstorm for a catchy project name - bring your ideas!

Volunteer Work Party

Join Homer Drawdown and the City of Homer for some boots-on-the-ground trail work. Where: Corner of Wright Street and Rangeview Ave (street parking) When: Tuesday June 14th at 5:30pm What: Trail work tool orientation and work party What to expect: Basic safety orientation, signing of waivers, on-the-ground trail work to formalize a connector foot path, refuel with grub. Food: Pizza

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our monthly meeting as we discuss our newest project - Non-Motorized Transportation.

Teen Peatland Expedition

Youth (ages 12-15): $150 (scholarships available) 4 Days/3 Nights June 29 - July 2, 2022 Scholarships available! Contact Katie at katieg@akcoastalstudies.org or 907-235-1974 for more information and an application. Some travel funding or support for Kachemak Bay/Lower Cook Inlet-area youth may also be available.

Trail Work Party #2

Join Homer Drawdown and the City of Homer for our second trail work party. When: June 29th from 5 to 7 PM Where: Lee and Heath Street (parking at high school lower parking lot) Tools will be provided as will pizza and snacks. Bonus points for riding your bike or walking to the work party.

Teen Peatland Expedition Finish Line Event

Join us at the finish of the Teen Peatland Expedition to show your support and see what stories the teens have to share: Bishop’s Beach Pavilion

Peatland Community Survey - Roger's Loop

Join our effort to 'put peat on the map' with our Community Peatland Surveys! New and returning Peatland Project volunteers are welcome to join our effort to investigate the peatland around Roger’s Loop trails. We will collect community science data by using probes to determine the depth of the peat and also documenting botanical species for iNaturalist. Learn how we are mapping local peatlands for the peat volume/depth and also documenting the diverse botanicals special to fen ecosystems. A Survey Team Lead will guide you to the peatland and through the monitoring protocol. We will meet at 3:00 pm at the Roger's Loop Trailhead (Skyline Trailhead parking) on Roger’s Loop Rd. Please sign up under the Peatland Project tab.

Homer Drawdown July Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our monthly meeting this July to help us improve our new project—Non-Motorized Transportation. We will meet over Zoom from 6-8 pm on July 20th.

Work Party #5

Join us for our 5th work party of the season next Wednesday at 5pm where we will clear 145 ft of new trail that will connect Tajen Lane with Eric Lane. Tajen Lane is off of Soundview on the left just above West Homer. The trail easement is 20 ft wide and the center line has been surveyed and marked. Folks can park on Tajen and its cul-de-sac as long as one lane of through traffic is kept open. Dress for potentially inclement weather, though Matt will have several sets of rain gear for volunteers to use.

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

As we move forward into the fall we hope you will join us in our mission to drive community led, people oriented, transportation solutions in Homer that ultimately reduce the amount of cars on the road, enhance safety, support economic vitality and reduce carbon emissions. Mark you calendars for our upcoming work party, our next monthly meeting on September 22nd, and a community wide non-motorized transportation symposium Oct. 1st.

Homer Pathways Forward: Non-Motorized Transportation Symposium

Location: Kachemak Bay Campus Date: Saturday October 1st 1 - 4pm. Join Homer Drawdown and the City of Homer to help develop a vision for a safe walkable, bikeable, trail friendly community learn about People-Oriented Transportation efforts Comment on current walk/bike/trail infrastructure and future desires make walk/bike/trail recommendations for the 2022 Homer Transportation Plan Food and beverages provided.

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our virtual, monthly meeting. We will spend our time in breakout rooms developing our projects and goals that we wish to accomplish over the next year!

Homer Drawdown Monthly Meeting

Please join Homer Drawdown for our once-a-month Non-Motorized Transportation meeting. There's a lot going on and we could use your input and support.

Homer Drawdown Winter Carnival Parade Sign Making Party

Location: Downstairs @ the Cook Inletkeeper Office - 3734 Ben Walters Ln. Homer AK Description: Homer Drawdown's People Oriented Transportation Project is participating in Homer's 69th annual Winter Carnival Parade on Saturday Feb. 11th. Stop by Cook Inletkeeper Friday the 10th between 4:30 and 7:30 to make a Homer Shares the Road sign or other festive decor. We'll be stocked with sign and banner making materials.

Homer Drawdown's Winter Carnival Parade Float: Homer Shares the Road

Meet at Homer High School Lower Parking Lot between 11 and 11:30 to get ready, parade kicks off at 12pm Homer Drawdown and Homer Shares the Road invite people of all ages to walk, stroll, bike, skateboard, hula hoop, unicycle, roller skate, jog, or use any people powered or electric powered transportation to propel ourselves en masse down Pioneer Avenue during the winter carnival parade. We will be led in a call and response song about our community sharing the road in front of the judges station. Percussion instruments are encouraged. A sign and banner making party will be held at Cook Inletkeeper the day prior on Friday February 10th from 4:30-7:30. This is a family friendly event, invite your friends, the more the merrier! Please RSVP or reach out with questions to Satchel and Jeanne at homerdrawdown@gmail.com.

Homer Drawdown - People Oriented Transportation Monthly Meeting

Join Homer Drawdown for our People Oriented Transportation monthly meeting on February the 23rd. Come at 5:30 for soup and socializing. The meeting (and Zoom call) will begin at 6:00 PM. We will be meeting in-person, upstairs at the KPC campus. For those that can’t attend in-person, we will also provide a Zoom option. The Zoom call will end after the updates before we go into breakout rooms. Bring your ideas and your support!

Safe and Healthy Kids Fair

High School Parking Lot

KBBI Coffee Table

Listen and call in to discuss people-oriented transportation in the Homer area. Homer Drawdown volunteers and the Homer Police Department will be there to answer questions and share information: http://www.kbbi.org

Bike/Walk to Work/School Week Energizer Booth

May is Bike Month and May 15th-19th is Bike to Work Week Use non-motorized transportation to get around town! Stop the Monday morning energizer booth at WKFL Park 7:30 - 9:30 am. There will be coffee, snack, bacon and bike bingo cards! 

Filmed by Bike Film Festival

Homer Theatre $10

Bike/Walk to Work/School Week Energizer Booth

May is Bike Month and May 15th-19th is Bike to Work Week Use non-motorized transportation to get around town! Stop the Friday energizer booth at WKFL Park between 4:30 and 6:30 pm. We will have the smoothy bike and bike bingo cards! Turn in your bingo card for a chance to win prizes! Names will be drawn at the end of the booth time, participants do not need to be present to win.

By Bicycle: Commuting Homer course

Saturday May 20th 10am-noon Free! at the Kachemak Bay Campus 533 East Pioneer Food and coffee provided. Available via Zoom For those who want to increase their confidence and ride safely in our fair city the rules of the road how to safely use sidewalks, paths and how to navigate sand, shoulders, essential gear ebikes Learn/Review/Discuss: the tricky intersections of Homer traffic, crosswalks and other user groups Geared for adult users, but all welcome

Makers Party

Help us make decorations for our upcoming Non-Motorized Transportation Project Celebration Event! We will be upstairs at Alice's Champagne Palace using recycled bike parts to make wind chimes and flowers. All ages! Snacks provided! 

People Powered Party - A Closing Celebration of Homer Drawdown’s Non-Motorized Transportation Solution

We want to celebrate and showcase all that we’ve done to improve and bring attention to our community walking and biking needs through this project. Please join us around a warm fire for a salmon BBQ and potluck at the Bishops Beach Pavilion, volunteer recognition, and a discussion around what we’ve accomplished and what's to come. All are welcome to this kid friendly event. We encourage you to leave your car at home or work and bike or walk to the beach (prizes for the furthest non-motorized travelers!).Salmon provided, if you can, bring a side to share or something to grill. Extra extra - for some non-motorized fun, during the event we will be holding slow bike races, the last one to finish wins!

Halloween Costume Bike Brigade

Homer Drawdown Halloween Bike Brigade | Tuesday Oct. 31st 4 - 6 during Pioneer Trick or Treating event. Pioneer is getting festive for Halloween! As kids fill the sidewalks trick or treating from business to business, we'll take to the street on bikes in costume as our last hurrah! Our ride will kick off at 5:15pm - meet us at WKFL Park to get ready. If you are able to come early, meet us there at 4pm, we will spend the hour handing out reflective tape to kids and parents to ensure our young community members are visible in dark months ahead.

The Peatlands: Homer Airport Art Reception

Join us to welcome Homer’s newest public art installation; “The Peatlands”, created by Kim McNett. Public reception at the Homer Airport on Wednesday November 8th 2023 from 5:00-7:00 with speakers and artist talk at 5:45. Homer Drawdown Peatland Project is pleased to join its partners and community members to dedicate the artwork of Kim McNett into the city’s permanent public art collection at the Homer Airport Terminal. 

Homer Drawdown 3.0: Climate Smart Homer Homes

Join Homer Drawdown for the kickoff event of our new, community-led, one-year-long climate solution project—Climate Smart Homer Homes. We will be meeting in-person on Tuesday February 13th at the Kachemak Bay Campus. Free soup and socializing starts at 5:30 and the meeting will begin at 6 PM.

Climate Smart Homer: March Meeting

When: Tuesday March 12th | 5:30pm Soup and Mingle, 6pm Meeting Begins Where: Kachemak Bay Campus Room 201/202 What: Climate Smart Homer Homes March Meeting Homer Drawdown’s Climate Smart Home’s Kick Off drew in 25 people ready to roll up their sleeves and bring this project to life. Now, after joining a working group that aligns with one goal of the initiative, volunteers are on an information gathering mission. Join us for our next meeting to learn what we found out about existing resources and gaps so that we can begin to create a calendar of events and programs that provide the tools to make much needed energy efficiency improvements to Homer homes.

Feathering Your Nest

When: Tuesday May 7th - 5:30pm soup and mingling | 6-7:30pm workshop Where: Kachemak Bay College room 201/202 What: As our local flocks are coming home to nest, many local people are also making home project lists for the summer. Homer Drawdown’s Climate Smart Homer Homes invites you to join the first of our first workshops to spur energy efficiency project planning to lower your home’s carbon footprint AND your heating bills. Heat, air, and moisture are driving forces in your home that determine comfort, health and safety, durability, and efficiency. This session is designed to help you understand these flowing forces to make more informed decisions on maintenance, repairs or remodels in your home. Join us Tuesday May 7th to learn about how your home works, and also about rebates and tax credits for doing some of this work in your house. This classroom session will be held at Kachemak Bay Campus, come at 5:30 for a shared soup meal, the meeting will kick off at 6pm. In addition a practical application of learning will be hosted the following Saturday in the home of one of the organizers. Here we will discuss selection of materials, proper installation techniques, and discussions of further measures. Space is limited and priority is given to those that attend and sign up at the classroom session. If you cannot make Tuesday’s meeting, but are excited about this hands-on learning experience, please email satchel@inletkeeper.org. The session will be led by Scott Waterman, retired energy program manager for the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation. There will be plenty of time for questions.

Homer Energy Fair

Are you paying too much for energy?! We need to rethink how we use energy to keep our homes cozy and our businesses functional. The exhibits and presentations at the Homer Energy Fair will connect Homer area residents with energy experts including solar and heat pump installers, Homer Electric Association, Renewable Energy Alaska Project, organizations offering rebates for energy upgrades, local weatherization supply vendors, contractors and more. Enjoy this FREE, family-friendly event Saturday January 25th at the Kachemak Bay Campus from 10am - 4pm and gain resources to make your home or business more energy efficient. The Homer Energy Fair will help you: -Learn how to reduce energy costs AND lower your carbon footprint -Talk to experts about innovative ways to heat, power, ventilate & insulate your homes and businesses -Understand how to install and maintain cost effective energy systems -Obtain State and Federal rebates and other financial incentives for energy upgrades The Homer Energy Fair will feature: The Event Will Feature: -Table Exhibits -Presentations -Kids Zone -Door Prizes -Refreshments The Homer Energy Fair is presented by Homer Drawdown, a grassroots community implementing local climate solutions. For more information, contact: satchel@inletkeeper.org