Resources

Employee and Community Engagement

Green Biz Tracker Tutorial from 4-9-23
Presented by Jaclyn Jezik and Jean Ponzi of the Challenge team.
Click here to view

Green Living Festival goes on the road
How to live Greener? So many options available here! EarthWays Center’s Angelina O’Donnell previews this year’s Green Living Festival, popping up throughout the summer at our Science Center, History Museum, Zoo, Art Museum – and the Garden. Fun and useful resources to share with your co-workers and community.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #86: available on YouTube

Growing Green at the Garden
Meet Joyce Gorrell, Sustainability Special Projects Coordinator for Missouri Botanical Garden – and a dynamic new member of your Challenge team. Joyce tells how sustainability engagement works for Garden employees and guests, including a new internal sustainability reporting process. Transplant some Garden know-how to assist your Green Team!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #79: available on YouTube

Illinois Green Business Program
IGBP directors Cassie Carroll and Anthony Santarelli present the what-why-how of this certification program, an eastern sister to our St. Louis Green Business Challenge. We invite businesses based in Illinois counties of the STL region to engage with the certification offered by IGBP. Learn more at http://www.illinoisgba.org.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #78: available on YouTube

Ten Billion Strong
Patrick Arnold, founder and CEO of the global non-profit 10 Billion Strong, is based in St. Louis and working with young humans in more than 20 countries, world-wide. Focused squarely from the realm of “optimistic realism”, a train-the-trainer model cultivates environmental literacy, capacity and skills for civic engagement, and leadership potential. An impressive 2021 Community Impact Report document tripled participation from youth living in Africa, Asia and North America. Learn more at www.tenbillionstrong.org.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #74: available on YouTube

GreenBiz Tracker
Julianne Rhodes, Director of Data & Technology and Staff Scientist with Environmental Innovations, guides a tour of the terrific new Challenge resource: GreenBiz Tracker.

Developed in 2009 for the California Green Business Network, this online platform provides 21st century efficiency to staff and participants in dozens of programs like the Challenge, working in 10 states.
Improvements timed for logon by Challenge 2022: an updated Dashboard for companies, metrics-generating features that will facilitate reporting of program-wide impacts.

BIG THANKS to U.S. EPA for grant funding making GreenBiz Tracker available in Missouri and New York, and to GBENN, the Green Biz Engagement National Network, and Illinois Green Business Network for facilitating this grant support.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #73: available on YouTube

Environmental Justice Training
Sunni Hutton, sustainability professional and community champion, describes this timely offering from her team at Blackrock Consulting, a Challenge Apprentice participant this year. Check out this training as a valuable resource for your enterprise.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #68: available on YouTube

Roots of Success: Growing Green Jobs for St. Louis
Roots of Success is an environmental literacy curriculum and work readiness training program that offers our region a workforce development resource with a decade of documented achievement. Responding to “Green Collar Job” needs here, partnerships within the St. Louis Green Business Challenge are at work to ground Roots of Success in our community!
.Click here to view this program on demand!

Challenge Environmental Service Opportunities List
Just in time to promote late summer through fall engagement events, your Challenge team shares a diverse new list of volunteer learning and service opportunities, drawing on many regional environmental partners. Presented with color commentary on experiences and effectiveness of these useful, sharable options.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #59: available on YouTube

City Nature Challenge: Community Science, Engagement, Fun!
Allison Brown – Missouri Botanical Garden
This spring, April 29 – May 3, City Nature Challenge will mobilize Community Scientists across our bi-state region. Adults and kids will take curiosity and smartphones outdoors and photograph plants, bugs, birds and aquatic and terrestrial critters of all kinds. Pix uploaded into the mobile app iNaturalist will contribute to STL’s regional “score” in this global biodiversity documentation event. The next week, experts in many biological fields will review observations – how many will be “Research Grade?” And this quality data will grow resources of Biodiversity advocates as we work with community planners and developers to include protecting Nature into our human projects and plans. Serious efforts, valuable impacts, real science – BIG FUN!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #44: available on YouTube

Earth Month 2021 – St. Louis Style
Bob Henkel – Program Director, EarthDay-365
From Enviro-Justice Days of Action to Celebration Kits to the launch of compost collection at Tower Grove and Ferguson Farmers’ Markets – this year’s Earth Day will keep us safe and healthy AND get us out and about into useful and fun Earth learning. Thanks for sharing resources from http://www.EarthDay-365.org with your colleagues and community!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #42: available on YouTube

Kickoff Seminar – Challenge 2021
Focus on JOBS
Special guest Jason Hall, CEO Greater St. Louis Inc, presents the 2030 Jobs plan and initiatives of this new regional partnership that has merged five economic development organizations. A panel of challenge company leaders in Solar and Ecological Landscaping discusses job realities and potentials to advance sustainable, equitable prosperity across our regional economy – and beyond. Green Jobs panelists represent City of St. Louis Solar Workforce Development and Sustainability, Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions Inc., Renew Missouri Solar, St. Louis Community College Horticulture Program, and StraightUp Solar.
Challenge 2021 Kick Off – Virtual Brown Bag #41

Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative
Jennifer Wendt – Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative
How does plastic litter from our streets get into the ocean? The watershed management commitment of Mississippi River city mayors is tackling this pollution issue.

You can help! April 1-18 a Plastic Pollution Initiative will mobilize citizen science power in Minneapolis, St. Louis and Baton Rouge, using the mobile app Marine Debris Tracker to amass data on plastic in the river while helping with organized area clean-ups. The St. Louis Green Business Challenge is partnering in this effort. Hear how your company or community can get involved in this edition of Challenge Virtual Brown Bag and visit www.1Mississippi.org to find details on app training sessions and clean-up events.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #40: available on YouTube

Loutopia: Potential vs Reality
Jayvn Solomon – Artist, Designer
How can art influence business and community, while advocating for equity? Artist, designer, advocate for Black creativity and former PGAV Green Team leader Jayvn Solomon visually raises this question – and your enthusiasm!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #39: available on YouTube

What’s So Funny?
Sarah Aman, Designer, pulls no punchlines with this insightful mashup of research, popular culture and professional communication strategy. Humor powers options to communicate complex, pressing enviro-issues. Examples from the serious business of funny messaging draw from national, global and Sarah’s own portfolios of hit ha-ha bits.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #36: available on YouTube

Certified Environmental Leader Program
Hannah Lewis of Missouri American Water previews an exciting engagement resource coming to their company for 2021. Adaptable to help your Green Team grow sustainability skills and involvement.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #31: available on YouTube

What Shall My Company Report?
This interactive advisory forum aims to help your company, community or non-profit formulate year-end reporting for this extraordinary year. Featuring examples from companies like yours, plus key date and details on an optional video submittal
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #27: What Shall My Company Report available on YouTube

Green Business Tour of The Advertisers Printing Company
John Heaney, Advertisers’ VP of Sustainability and Sales leads a terrific virtual tour of his company’s production house. See how a deeply rooted local firm is adapting to profound industry changes, with sustainability leading the way.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #25: Green Business Tour of The Advertisers Printing Company available on YouTube

Preparing your Challenge 2020 Outcomes
Your Challenge team, Jean Ponzi and Angelina O’Donnell, detail the simple process to submit your year-end achievements for publication in the 2020 Accomplishments and Innovations Book, including visuals and Q&A.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #24: Preparing Your Year-End Outcomes available on YouTube

FleishmanHillard: Communicating your Business Sustainability Message

Open Forum: Your Green Resources, Your Current Needs? July 2020

Challenge Manager, Jean Ponzi, will facilitate dialogue with attendees. What’s happening in your company or community? What Green guidance do you have to share, and what resources does your Green Team need?

Watch this 30-minute program here

Eco.Challenge.org: Plastic Free Ecochallenge

Lacy Cagle, June 2020

Presenter Lacy Cagle, Director of Learning for EcoChallenge.org, details the fun and impactful resources of Plastic-Free EcoChallenge, This online program running throughout July guides participants in evaluating and reducing plastic waste, in our daily lives and on our planet. Content comes from a coalition of North American Zoos and Aquariums. Program metrics tally collective impacts of individual actions, educating while motivating habit changes. Ideal for a company-based team structure, Plastic-Free EcoChallenge is also great for individuals, families and personal affinity groups.

Local achievements headlined reports from Plastic-Free EcoChallenge in July 2019. Team St. Louis Goes Green, taking the 2020 Earth Day EcoChallenge, took 15th place out of 818 teams nationally! Competition, anyone?

View this 30-minute presentation here

Communicating Your CSR Impact

Judith Rowland, May 2020

A look at sustainability communications through the larger lens of Corporate Social Responsibility. Judith Rowland, Managing Supervisor for Public Affairs at FleishmanHillard, addressed the value of Green messaging for businesses of all kinds, illustrated with examples from FH expert client service.

Click here to view the 30-minute program

Saint Louis Zoo: iNaturalist – Biodiversity for All!

Mike Dawson, April 2020

Mike Dawson, Saint Louis Zoo’s Conservation Education Liaison (and Frog Guy) walks you through the app iNaturalist, the national gold standard of Citizen Science. Perfect social-distanced nature learning and fun! Biodiversity Bonus: all observations made with iNaturalist, by anyone at any time, from our metro St. Louis region, contribute valuable data to BiomeSTL, the regional atlas of biodiversity data being developed to inform planning decisions throughout our region, as our OneSTL regional sustainability biodiversity goal. Your Citizen Science work is real!

CLICK HERE to view the 30-minute program

Waste Minimization

Perennial
Katie Carpenter, Executive Director of Perennial, shares this non-profit’s resourceful ethos of fun and beauty through creative re-use. Find them online at http://www.perennialstl.org – and considering bringing a Perennial Workshop to your workplace or community!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #77: available on YouTube

St. Louis County Municipal Recycling Grant Program
Opportunities for Green Cities Challenge communities – and for the community where YOU live – to tap into grant support for waste minimization efforts. Plus useful recycling updates and perspective from Margaret Lilly of St. Louis County Dept of Public Health, Waste Management Branch.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #75: available on YouTube

Seeding Labs
Jennifer Raymond, Corporate Relations Manager for the unique non-profit Seeding Labs, presents their purpose and process for globally re-distributing scientific equipment. Where “scientific talent is abundant – resources are not” Seeding Labs fills a gap, working in partnership with universities abroad, especially in the developing world, and corporations and institutions here. Success stories address COVID-19 research and testing, water purification and much more. Opportunities for the St. Louis Green Business Challenge!
Learn more at www.seedinglabs.org.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #72: available on YouTube

Recycling Roundup
Kathrina Donegan, Environmental Manager for St. Louis County Dept. of Public Health, and State of Missouri Recycling Manager Rob Didrickson discuss updates fresh from the 2021 Missouri Recycling Association Conference with fellow MORA member (and Challenge manager) Jean Ponzi. This informative roundup covers moves to nationally reduce plastic pollution, global-to-local recycling market values, and other useful elements of R! R! R! Get your recycling questions answered anytime by emailing greenresources@mobot.org and learn more about state recycling partnerships at www.mora.org.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #71: available on YouTube

Simplify the Holidays
Kelley Dennings of the Center for Biological Diversity shares options to redefine holiday traditions and celebrations in ways that respect land, waters and wildlife and refocus on what really matters: More Fun, Less Stuff. Great resources to share with fellow employees or your community! www.simplifytheholidays.org
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #70: available on YouTube

Home Sweet Home, St. Louis’ Furniture Bank
“Investing” donations in this unique non-profit helps furnish entire homes for families in need. Founder and Director Betsy Reznicek shares operations and achievements of one of the most resourceful enterprises you will meet. Home Sweet Home yields terrific ROI, to donors, volunteers and beneficiaries. Learn more at http://www.homesweethomestl.org.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #69: available on YouTube

Dynamic Duo Downsizing & Estate Services
Steeped in sustainable expertise, this resourceful STL startup is thriving in a business niche increasingly in demand. Don’t say “dumpster” to presenter Laura Neuman-Howe or her sister and co-owner Kathleen LeDuc!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #64: available on YouTube

Too Good to Waste
Building on success of “Recycle Responsibly,” the regional recycling education campaign launched in 2019, “Too Good to Waste” includes practical, vividly colorful resources to evaluate, communicate about and effectively reduce food waste. Presented by Dr. Jess Watson, Executive Director of EarthDay-365, leaders of this campaign. Don’t miss this opportunity for impactful sustainability outreach!
Click here to view the campaign
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #62: available on YouTube

University City Food Waste Audit
Danielle Korman, Blackbird Foundation
How much are we scraping off our plates? And how can we change food habits to waste less? The Blackbird Foundation and 48 households in University City, MO have asked just this. Process and findings can help others on the path to waste less food – protecting climate, budget and more along the way.

Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #37: available on YouTube

Yard Sign Recycling Campaign
Challenge Green Cities and recycling leaders of OneSTL, our regional sustainability plan, are teaming up to recycle the corrugated plastic yard signs proliferating in this election season. Thanks for sharing this video link with fellow employees and community members!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #28: available on YouTube

Stick a Fork in Food Waste! September 2020

Maggie McCoy, from the EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Garden, offers practical, measurable, impactful ways to reduce food waste at home, or anywhere that eaters want to be aware! Saving food: good for planet, people, pocketbook.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #22: Stick a Fork in Food Waste available on YouTube

Saint Louis University: Supply Chain Sustainability

Cindy Mebruer, May 2020

This overview of options to green our supply chains comes from Cindy Mebruer, who directs the Center for Supply Chain Excellence in the Chaifetz School of Business at Saint Louis University. Sustainability in this field embodies the best of collaborative, resilient, resourceful action, supporting every kind of professional sector.

Click here to view the 30-minute program

University City and MRC Recycling: Regional Recycling Updates

Jenny Wendt & Greg Cooksey, May 2020

This update comes from Jenny Wendt, Senior Project Manager for University City MO and OneSTL Recycling/Materials Working Group leader; and Greg Cooksey, Director of Business Development for electronics recycling firm MRC Recycling. Tune in to learn what’s working and what’s needed for no-stress recycling success, as our businesses prepare to re-open, and for folks at home. Jenny covers Recycle Responsibly single-stream recycling and Greg includes info on upcoming MRC eWaste collection events, configured for safe, responsible public recycling of “anything with a cord.”

Click here to view the 30-minute program

Bonus Recycling Resource:

Earth Day Virtual Tour of Republic Services Material Recovery Facility
This 27-minute Zoom tour of our region’s largest recycling plant, or MRF, is a terrific opportunity for everyone in your working circle to see, understand and support how recycling works – for all of us! Brent Batliner, MRF plant manager, gives this tour, with Bob Henkel, manager of Recycling On The Go for EarthDay 365. Don’t miss it!

Energy and Climate

Dark-Sky Missouri
Internationally, advocates for human and ecological health are calling for changes to nighttime lighting. Don Ficken, Chapter Chair of Missouri’s engagement, shares the what-why-how of this initiative. Research into the benefits of less night lighting will surprise you – with energy savings leading the way! Visit www.darksky.org to engage with International Dark Sky Association resources.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #88: available on YouTube

St. Louis Building Energy Exchange
Cara Spencer, BeEx Director, tells how BE-Ex STL provides energy benchmarking and reporting support, fiscal and contractor resource referrals, adaptable case studies – and more. Buildings are the source of 80% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in St. Louis, compared to the national average of 40%. Options abound through our region’s new Building Energy Exchange to reduce climate impacts, operate more comfortably and efficiently – and save money! Learn more at www.BE-ExSTL.org
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #84: available on YouTube

Grow Solar 2021
Jenn DeRose – Grow Solar St. Louis
Group-buy incentives return for Missouri and Illinois residents. Resources to share with your workplace or municipal community. Is this your year to go solar with Grow Solar?Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #46: available on ZOOM Recordings

Renew STL Solar, Commercial Group-Buy Incentives
Andrew Linhares – Regional Director, Renew Missouri
Hear how this group-buy commercial customer program, coupled with the federal tax incentive retained at 26% through 2022, can make Triple Bottom Line $en$e for your firm.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #35: available on YouTube

A New Municipal Energy Efficiency Toolkit
Operational efficiencies in buildings and fleets are cornerstones for cutting costs and carbon. Emily Andrews and Victoria Coleman, of U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter, unveil a new toolkit for “Advancing Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy & Electric Vehicle Policy in the St. Louis Region.” Get the Toolkit here.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #32: available on YouTube

Communicating Climate Solutions 2.0, September 2020
Hannah Phillips, Saint Louis Zoo, describes the Zoo’s framework for Climate Conversations. Don’t miss Virtual Climate Communications Day, Sunday September 27! This second-annual public event now on Zoom features climate action options from local experts, on the hour and half-hour, 10 a.m. to 2 pm. Appropriate for all ages, this event and the conversations behind it bring a tested, useful body of knowledge and skills.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #23: Saint Louis Zoo on Climate Solutions 2.0 available on YouTube

Moving to Carbon Neutrality
Presenters Eric Schneider, Erin Noble, Bob Pashos and Riley Francis of StraightUp Solar describe their firm’s efforts to evaluate emissions and become Carbon Neutral. As a Certified BCorp, StraightUp Solar is participating in a national business movement toward Carbon Neutrality. Learn from these expert advocates how this process can benefit your business, what similar processes are available to larger companies, non-profits and municipalities – and how this kind of collaboration can move our region.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #26: Moving to Carbon Neutrality available on YouTube

StraightUp Solar: New Commercial Solar Power Resources

Dan Hancock, May 2020

Renew Solar STL offers incentives to the commercial sector, in an expansion of successful Grow Solar STL and Metro East residential incentive programs. Dan Hancock, Senior Commercial Project Developer for St. Louis B-Corp StraightUp Solar, presents economic and environmental resources available now.

Click here to view the 30-minute program

USGBC-Missouri Gateway Chapter: Regional Energy Goals and Strategies

Emily Andrews, April 2020

Emily Andrews, Executive Director of U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter, updates us on energy efficiency and renewable energy goals from City of St. Louis and the region. Opportunities here to align your business with these climate-protecting, cost-saving measures, using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and other open-source, user-friendly tracking tools.

CLICK HERE to view the 30-minute program

Ameren Missouri: Ameren Missouri Biz Savers

Rob Yakel, April 2020

Explore business energy incentive updates and strategies for energy efficiency planning that are pertinent to the business needs of now!

CLICK HERE to view the 30-minute program

Sustainability Policies and Plans

GBENN: Green Business Engagement National Network
Since 2015, North American programs like the St. Louis Green Business Challenge have networked resources through GBENN. A virtual GBENN Summit is coming up September 8-10. Get the story from GBENN leader Cassie Carroll, who also heads our neighboring Illinois Green Business Association. Summit registration at http://www.gbenn.org
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #60: available on YouTube

Ameren’s new SERG: Sustainability Employee Resource Group
At Ameren, as sustainability commitments and achievements proliferate for customers and investors, internal leaders have stepped up to boost internal engagement too. The SERG process, purpose and scope will inspire fellow Challenge companies, looking to boost connectivity and engagement, in the Green Space and related spheres.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #57: available on YouTube

St. Louis Green Dining Alliance
Sustainable Service to our Food Sector
Victoria Donaldson – Program Manager, EarthDay-365
Cafes and catering partnerships serving St. Louis Green Business Challenge participants can take advantage of the specialized, expert consulting services of the Green Dining Alliance. Over 125 currently GDA-certified restaurants are making Green work to attract customers as they reduce energy and water use and waste. View this presentation for Challenge Virtual Brown Bag and learn more at http://www.greendiningalliance.org

Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #48: available on YouTube

Creve Coeur Green Business Program
Katy Fechter, Business Sustainability Coordinator
Businesses of all kinds located in Creve Coeur, a suburb of St. Louis MO, can benefit from this city-based certification program. From a central focus on recycling, training and support services also address energy efficiency and other sustainability options.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #36: available on YouTube

Pollution Prevention Assessments
Doug Neidigh – Sustainability Coordinator, Missouri State University
New, free resource for Missouri manufacturing sector companies
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #34: available on YouTube

California Green Business Network
Special guest Jo Fleming, Executive Director of California Green Business Network. An elder cousin to our STL Green Challenge, this statewide program certifies small to mid-sized businesses, helping them meet state-mandated resource efficiencies. What can we learn from this type of program? In our largely non-regulated environment, how do Challenge efforts compare?
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #33: available on YouTube

Implementing a Sustainability Plan
Green Cities Challenge leaders describe the process in their communities to develop and implement strategic plans that prioritize sustainability and guide actions to make it work. Collinsville adapted Granite City’s process, action in both communities arose from collaborations of engaged citizens and city staff. Challenge companies, non-profits and fellow municipal leaders can learn from these communities’ achievements! Presented by Linda Aud, Cool Cities Committee for City of Granite City IL, and Derek Jackson, Assistant City Manager, City of Collinsville IL.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #30: available on YouTube

Green Transportation

Switch Up Your Commute
St. Louis summertime, when heat and humidity trap air quality compromising Ozone at ground level, is the perfect time for this kind of green-your-daily-travel challenge! Kim Cella, Executive Director of Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and Susannah Fuchs, head of St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership, present the fun and useful details of this summer 2022 challenge. Join in and switch up YOUR commute, especially when Orange or Red Air Quality Days are forecast. You can win prizes while saving money and contributing to a healthier region for all. Thanks to CMT, a sustaining sponsor of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge. Get details for this challenge at www.SwitchUpYourCommute.com
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #85: available on YouTube

Vanimal: the Mobile Bike Shop that meets you in the Wild
Cyclist, velo-maintenance ace and Challenge alumna Francesca di Renzo wheels her Vanimal mobile bike shop around town, bringing expert repairs and pedaling enthusiasm to corporate and neighborhood customers. Bring Vanimal to your next company Wellness or Sustainability event. Host business pays the modest Vanimal booking fee, employees can schedule their choice of bike tune-up package during working hours. An all-around Green amenity. Find Francesca’s full menu of services at www.vanimalstl.com
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #80: available on YouTube

Trailnet: Pedaling options to Get Around Green
Our region’s longtime non-profit promotor of active living and two-wheeled transportation shares an update on programs and partnerships.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #63: available on YouTube

“Charge Ahead” Ameren EV Incentives
Ameren Missouri incentives can help your enterprise install electric vehicle charging stations at workplaces and publicly accessible locations including apartment buildings. Bryan Shannon, Ameren Business Development Manager, shares program details that can save up to 50% of total EV Charging project costs.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #58: available on YouTube

Metro Transit: Green Your Commute, Green Your City
Get on board with innovative measures that run routes from EV charging stations at Park ‘N Ride lots to Transportation Oriented Development collaborations to new Electric Bus investments.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #55: available on YouTube

RideFinders: Carpools + Vanpools = Get-Around-Green
Representing this longtime Challenge Sustaining Sponsor, Amanda Schomaker shares how RideFinders regionally supports commuters in reducing travel impacts, stresses and costs. Their workplace lunch-and-learns are terrific for employee engagement.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #50: available on YouTube

Travel Training: MTM Grows Transportation Access, Sustainability
Mike Davis – Senior Director, Mobility Management
Nicola Mukome – Project Manager
Through customized service and multi-modal transportation sector partnerships, MTM Inc empowers mobility at every community level, from individuals to agencies. This St. Louis based, woman-owned family company is making a difference, nation-wide.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #47: available on YouTube 

Advocating for Transit
Kim Cella – Executive Director, Citizens for Modern Transit
From deep and long work in community transportation planning, CMT’s advocacy and perspective is helping to shape the future of get-around-Green regionally.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #45: available on YouTube

View CMT’s 4/29/21 webinar “Can the Bus Drive Development?”
View program here!

Fleet Electrification – Assessment, Potentials
Ken Kresyman – Ameren Missouri
Anticipating infrastructure movement toward electric vehicles, Ameren is offering a limited number of Fleet Electrification Assessments. What does your organization need to plan for this evolution – and how much can your business save?
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #43: available on YouTube

Electric Vehicle Incentives – Super Savings to Install in 2020
Combined federal and local utility incentives offer up to 80% off the cost of installing electric vehicle charging stations, through the end of 2020. Ameren Missouri incentives will remain available into 2021, but federal tax credits will expire at year-end. If your company or municipality wants EV charging services, move now to install in 2020. Steve Sommers of StraightUp Solar details the benefits and process driving opportunity for super savings!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #29: available on YouTube

Greening Transportation, Internally and Around Town, September 2020

Kym Brown, with RideFinders and Madison County (IL) Transit, shares ways to reduce costs, stress and enviro-impacts of your commute. Carpools, vanpools and transit operations have all integrated COVID-safe protocols to help commuters get around our bi-state region, safely and Green!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #21: Greening Transportation available on YouTube

Citizens for Modern Transit: Hop Back on Transit!

Mallory Box, June 2020

Getting around “Green” is not going away! Multiple transit options for safe and sustainable commutes and other travel are shared by Mallory Box, Director of Programs and Membership for Citizens for Modern Transit, regional advocacy group and longtime Challenge sponsor. Ongoing resources include Guaranteed Ride Home, and Try & Ride partnerships subsidizing transit trials.

View this 30-minute program here

Ecological Site Management

Protecting Migratory Birds from 4-13-23
Don Ficken of International Dark Sky Association and Saint Louis Zoo’s Wanda Kolo detail how your efforts to moderate outdoor lighting and building surfaces can protect birds – especially crucial through May, when songbirds are migrating along Mississippi River Flyway. Good protection for insects too!
Click here to view

Calculating Carbon Credits from Community Trees
Emily Ehley of Trees Forever presents nationally recognized resources to document another vital value provided by community and company campus trees. As Southern and Central Illinois Field Coordinator, Emily is working with Green Cities Challenge participants to plan for, literally plant, commit to caring for and calculating carbon credit fiscal benefits, while growing community resilience through the power of trees. Learn more at http://www.treesforever.org
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #89: available on YouTube

Prairie STRIPS Restoring Habitat
Dr. Matthew O’Neal, entomologist at Iowa State University, reports on projects combining prairie strips with conventional agriculture, with potential to inform collaborations in the emerging field of “Agri-Voltaics.” Explore the Prairie STRIPS project.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #87: available on YouTube

Historic Greenwood Cemetery
This north St. Louis County site offers one of our region’s best opportunities for environmental and cultural service. Shelley and Rafael Morris, leaders of the Greenwood Cemetery Preservation Association, share the significance of the oldest non-sectarian African American cemetery in the St. Louis region – and the moving story of efforts to reclaim the grounds from invasive plants and illegal dumping, and restore appreciative connections to over 50,000 individuals at rest in this place. Greenwood welcomes fiscal and work party support! Visit www.greenwoodstl.org to learn more – and contribute!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #81: available on YouTube

Hackin’ Invasive Honeysuckle
View this program just in time to promote employee and community engagement through November events in the bi-annual Honeysuckle Sweep for Healthy Habitat. Honeysuckle Hacks are a fave form of Challenge enviro-service! Learn about invasive plant issues and local-to-statewide strategies to halt the spread of species that threaten biodiversity. Presented by Alli Brown, Community Programs Coordinator for Missouri Botanical Garden, expert hack leader, and member of MO Invasive Plant Council.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #66: available on YouTube 

St. Louis Audubon: BirdSafe Buildings STL
St. Louis sits beneath the Mississippi Flyway, a major U.S. bird migration corridor. From a survey around downtown buildings last fall, presenter Jean Favara and her Audubon project’s team are seeking community relationships to reduce bird fatalities and advance bird-safe practices in our region. Hear how Challenge leaders have contributed – and can help!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #56: available on YouTube

Forest ReLEAF of Missouri: Growing CommuniTree with Community
Take a leaf from this non-profit’s presentation of 25 years+ literally greening community health, biodiversity and resilience around our state. Executive Director Meridith Perkins and Partnership Coordinator Rebecca Hankins present options for your company or municipality to grow community service and infrastructure investment value through TREES!
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #54: available on YouTube

Mosquito Control: an Eco-Logical Action Summer-y
Timely Employee and Resident Education
Apply a splash of eco-logic to protect health of people and pollinators. Buzz-off expertise shared with style by Challenge manager Jean Ponzi.
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #52: available on YouTube

Tree Love: How to Value, Maintain and Benefit from Trees
This special hour-long program features panelists from Beyond Housing, Forest ReLEAF of Missouri and Missouri Department of Conservation. Challenge manager Jean Ponzi led discussion of resources to help individuals, companies and communities thrive in the company of trees.
Presented in partnership with Green Living Festival
Challenge Virtual Brown Bag #49: available on YouTube

Wildlife Habitat Council: Corporate Sustainability Planning: Landscapes to Benefit People & Nature

Margaret O’Gorman, July 2020

From this non-profit’s base in Washington DC, Wildlife Habitat Council’s 30+ years of globally supporting corporate campus biodiversity offer models Challenge companies and Green cities can adapt and use – including outstanding examples from our own corporate community.

Watch this 30-minute program here

Special edition, in partnership with Green Living Festival: Homegrown National Park: STL Biodiversity Innovations, June 2020

Three local native planting projects are beautifying public spaces, boosting biodiversity – and growing economic benefits. Presented by:

  • Rachel Witt and Angie Weber, South Grand Community Improvement District 
  • Yvonne Steingruby, City of Webster Groves Parks Department 
  • Michael Wohlstadter, Southhampton Neighborhood Association

View this 58 minute presentation on YouTube

Indoor Environmental Quality

Safety National, RBO Print Logistix, Maritz Holdings, Bayer, Green Working Through COVID Re-Opening, June 2020

This conversation with four Challenge company leaders covers building maintenance, employee health safeguards, official guidance resources – and how to manage continuity of Green practices, or message about those having to be suspended. Good questions from attendees highlight shared concerns. Thanks to our panelists:

  • Justin Prien – Bayer
  • Chuck Winkle – Maritz Holdings
  • Stacie Elliott – RBO Print Logistix
  • Joanna Pallardy – Safety National

Click here to view the 30-minute program

Water Efficiency

Special edition, in partnership with Green Living Festival: Homegrown National Park: STL Biodiversity Innovations, June 2020

Three local native planting projects are beautifying public spaces, boosting biodiversity – and growing economic benefits. Presented by:

  • Rachel Witt and Angie Weber, South Grand Community Improvement District 
  • Yvonne Steingruby, City of Webster Groves Parks Department 
  • Michael Wohlstadter, Southhampton Neighborhood Association

View this 58 minute presentation on YouTube

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