There will be 90 seconds* more daylight today than yesterday, and 90 more seconds tomorrow too.

90 seconds might not seem like a lot, but, over time, those seconds add up to the longest day of the year.

- Jillian Wilson Martin, Natick Sustainability
Coordinator

This winter I am going to be grateful for each of those 90 seconds, just as I am grateful for you. Because every day I am blessed to witness the small (and big) actions you take for our future. Whether you are composting, installing solar, choosing 100% clean electricity, investing in an electric vehicle, or setting out a pink bag, your actions add up too, and together they make our collective future brighter.

Thank you for supporting sustainability and creating light during this challenging year. 

*In December - January, each day gains between 90 seconds and 2 minutes of daylight. In February, about 2.5 minutes are added each day. As the sun moves higher in the sky from March through June, there are about 2 more minutes of daylight per day.

New grant!: Natick recently received an Accelerating Climate Resilience grant from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). The grant will be used to construct a new community garden in Natick Center and to provide subsidized or free food to vulnerable populations. Many thanks to the Natick Housing Authority, Natick Service Council, Keefe Tech, Council on Aging and Natick Community Organic Farm for their support applying for this grant. We are excited to work on this in 2021!

More renewable energy: Starting in January, 31% of the electricity used to power homes and businesses enrolled in the Natick electricity aggregation program will come from wind, solar and hydropower projects located in New England. The foundations for the solar canopies at Kennedy are going in next week too!

Net zero plan coming soon: More than 300 residents participated in our Net Zero Online Open House and the Sustainability Committee is working to finalize the plan in early 2021.

A cooler, greener library: This spring Natick will partner with the UMass Clean Energy Extension to complete a whole building audit of the Morse Institute Library, with a focus on its 25+ year old chiller and ice storage systems. Our goal is to identify opportunities to retrofit the building with clean energy technology as existing components approach the end of their useful life.