Sustainable Fox Valley has always worked from a simple idea: lasting change happens when people in the same place learn together and then act together. Our projects are deliberately small, repeatable formats that any block, congregation, school, workplace or village can pick up. Some we organize directly; others we support with materials, facilitation and coaching so local groups can run them on their own.
Every project is guided by the same questions the original initiative asked: how can our community use less fossil fuel and fewer materials pulled from the earth’s crust, reduce toxic and persistent substances, protect the natural systems that support life, and do all of that in a way that helps everyone meet their basic needs fairly? If you are new to that way of thinking, start with The Natural Step.
Households and neighborhoods
These formats are built for people who want to start at home and on their own street. They work well for a few neighbors, a faith community, a parent group or a workplace team.
Fox Cities Unplugged Energy Challenge
Format: A friendly, team-based household energy challenge lasting four to eight weeks. Households set a baseline from their own utility bills, pick actions from a shared list and track progress together.
Goal: Make energy savings visible, social and fun, and leave every household with habits and upgrades that keep paying off after the challenge ends.
How to join: Registration opens soon. Read how the challenge works and join the interest list.
Neighborhood study circles
Format: Groups of 6 to 12 people meet for a series of facilitated conversations, usually four to six sessions, using a shared guide. Everyone talks, nobody lectures, and the final session turns ideas into a short action plan.
Goal: Build trust and shared understanding among neighbors, then choose one or two projects the group can actually carry out.
How to join: Learn about study circles, or start one with a Study Circle Starter Kit.
Home energy assessments
Format: A guided walkthrough of your home, in person or by video call, focused on air leaks, insulation, heating and cooling, lighting, water heating and household waste.
Goal: Give you a prioritized, plain-language list of next steps, from free habit changes to upgrades worth pricing out, plus pointers to current rebates.
How to join: Book a Home Energy & Waste Assessment.
Water, land and shared spaces
The Fox River, Lake Winnebago and the creeks that feed them tie the whole valley together. What runs off our roofs, driveways and lawns ends up in that water, which makes these hands-on projects some of the most rewarding we do.
River and shoreline cleanups
Format: Half-day volunteer outings along riverbanks, park shorelines and storm-drain outlets. Crews pick up litter, log what they find and learn how debris and runoff reach the water.
Goal: Cleaner shorelines today, and better habits upstream tomorrow. The litter log helps groups spot problem areas worth raising with property owners or local officials.
How to join: Sign up as a cleanup crew volunteer. We also encourage people to take part in established regional cleanups organized by groups such as the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance.
Community and rain gardens
Format: Seasonal work days to plan, plant and maintain native-plant gardens, food gardens and rain gardens at homes, schools, congregations and other shared sites.
Goal: Soak up stormwater where it falls, feed pollinators and people, and give neighbors a reason to work side by side.
How to join: Volunteer as a garden helper, or read our rain garden and rain barrel guide to start one at home.
Businesses, organizations and municipalities
Workplaces and local governments make decisions that shape energy use, materials and land use for thousands of people. These formats help them start with a shared framework instead of a scattered list of green ideas.
Natural Step workshops for businesses
Format: A half-day, interactive workshop for up to 20 people that introduces The Natural Step’s four system conditions and walks your team through “backcasting” from a sustainable future to practical first moves.
Goal: A common language across departments and a short list of actions that save money, reduce risk and align with your mission.
How to join: Book a Natural Step Workshop, or see our page for businesses and organizations.
Municipal planning support
Format: Consultation for city, village, town and county staff, committees and elected officials who want to fold sustainability into comprehensive plans, operations or capital decisions.
Goal: A clear starting point: where you are now, what peers have done, which first steps fit your budget and how to involve residents along the way.
How to join: Read about our work with municipalities or request a planning consultation.
How to get involved in a project
- Pick a format that fits. Think about your time, your setting and who you already know. A household might start with the energy challenge; a block club might start with a study circle; a business might start with a workshop.
- Tell us what you have in mind. Use the contact form or email [email protected] with your neighborhood or organization, the project you are curious about and roughly how many people might take part.
- Get the materials. We will point you to free guides on this site and, where it helps, kits or services that make the first round easier.
- Start small and finish. A single cleanup, one rain garden or one study circle series that wraps up well is worth more than an ambitious plan that stalls.
- Share what you learned. Send us a short note or a few photos. Lessons from one group help the next one get started faster.
Propose a new project
Many of our best ideas have come from residents. If you see a need in your neighborhood, such as a shoreline that collects trash, a schoolyard that floods after every storm or a group of neighbors who want to go solar together, tell us. We will help you think through scope, safety and who else in the region is already working on the issue, and we will point you to public resources like Focus on Energy, the Wisconsin DNR or UW–Madison Extension where they can help.