Bernardsville’s Path to a Sustainable Future

If you are interested in the future of Bernardsville and also in enhancing the quality of life in our town, come to Bernardsville Public Library on Tuesday, March 9 at 7:30 pm to learn about sustainable living and how everyone can cut costs by going “green.” Donna Drewes, Community Planner at the Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey and one of the lead architects of Sustainable New Jersey, will provide a powerful presentation with an eye toward the future.

Sustainable living provides many benefits to individuals, families and communities. In addition to protecting the fresh water, clean air, and clean soil of our planet Earth, it makes good economic sense. Sustainable habits, from recycling to saving energy, save money in personal budgets and government budgets alike. The ripple effect of controlling costs through sustainable living habits helps us all.

This program will help attendees begin to realize that even the smallest steps toward “going green” can have a powerful and positive effect on all our lives. At the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to identify steps, both large and small, that they can take toward their own sustainable styles of living. To demonstrate activities in which community members are already involved or in which they can become involved, various tables will be set up around the room. One will display the activities of the Green Club at the local school district; a second will cover our proposed Community Garden, composting, and home vegetable gardens; the third will have information about natural resources, storm water issues, and watershed protection; and the last will cover energy conservation. The tables will be staffed by members of the Bernardsville Green Team and information sheets will be available to take home. Each attendee will also receive a re-usable shopping bag with hand-outs inside. Refreshments will be served with the beverages served in biodegradable cups.

Speaker Donna Drewes is a professional planner with nearly 29 years of experience in community and natural resource planning in New Jersey. She has worked as a professional planning consultant in the private sector and for both public agencies and non-governmental organizations. Her experience includes extensive work in the development of master plan and conservation plan elements, background reports and ordinance drafting with an emphasis on rural and environmental resource management issues. Ms. Drewes holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Soil Science and a Masters’ degree in City and Regional Planning, both from Rutgers University. Since 2004, Ms. Drewes has been a Community Planner with the Municipal Land Use Center (MLUC) at The College of New Jersey. Her work at the MLUC with municipalities in central New Jersey focuses on sustainability, livable communities, and transportation issues.

There is no charge to attend the program. Advance sign-up is requested at www.bernardsvillelibrary.org or call the library at 908-766-0118 to sign up.