About Us/Contact Us

The Natural Step Monona is a grassroots, non-partisan, tax-exempt organization made up of people working to make our lives and our community more sustainable – environmentally, economically, and socially – by using The Natural Step framework. 

In the process of spreading the message of sustainability, a community of friends has formed. Fueled by possibilities, determined to make progress, and practicing ongoing dialogue and action toward creating a livable future – we are people making a difference. We hope you’ll join us.

We have helped our community and many individuals by:

• Creating more opportunities for learning about sustainability issues by spearheading the creation of the Sustainability Section at the Monona Public Library, which opened in November 2007 and expanded in 2009. The Sustainability Section received a generous grant from MG&E;
• Helping homeowners keep an estimated 39-plus tons of waste out of the landfill by getting them to use 155 compost bins (waste estimate is as of April 2010);
• Helping 131 people learn deeply and in an engaging way about sustainability by organizing and facilitating seventeen study circles on The Natural Step framework;
• Creating greater awareness of issues and solutions with the series Green Tuesdays Films & Lectures. In partnership with the Monona Public Library, this program offers films and presentations on diverse topics such as Permaculture, simple home canning, biodiversity, and waste reduction, and has been made possible by grants from the Dane County Environmental Council. With assistance from the Nelson Institute, Green Tuesdays is expanding to five area communities in September 2010;
• Helping residents harvest an estimated 229,700 gallons of rainwater, keeping it from becoming stormwater runoff, by helping them start using Sustain Dane rain barrel systems (estimate is as of September 2009).
• Making events and information available to more people by recording our events and kickoffs (including Green Tuesdays presentations) for Monona Cable and for the Sustainability Section’s DVD collection;
• Making local, homegrown food available to more people by assisting St. Stephen’s Church in the planning and creation of their community garden, opened in April 2008;
• Educating parade-goers on recycling and waste reduction as the “Clean-Up Brigade” for the Monona Memorial Day Parade;
• Successfully appealing to our city for green demolition and building practices for the Garden Circle redevelopment on Owen Road, and for the purchase of police vehicles that cause less environmental harm and save fuel costs;
• Educating the city about the value of a conservation rate structure for our water utility and proposing a water conservation contest;
• Offering opportunities for people to attend free educational events at the Monona Community Center where they interacted with representatives of Sustain Dane, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, the Village of Johnson Creek, the Jefferson County Board, the Alliance for Sustainability, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center, Focus on Energy, myfairlakes.com, Dane Buy Local, Seventh Generation Energy Systems, the Monona Farmer’s Market, Monona Community Gardens, Monona Elementary PTO, and the mayors of Washburn and Bayfield, Wisconsin;
• Cleaning and beautifying our community with park clean ups of Schluter Park and Winnequah Park’s creek and lagoon;
• Sharing tips for having more environmentally-friendly holidays through seven award-winning Green Holiday Ideas videos created for Monona Cable in 2007, followed by five more videos recorded for the holiday season in 2008. The twelve videos feature 43 community members. (View them by clicking on the “TNS Monona TV” link.)
• Educating the Monona and Cottage Grove communities about sustainable behaviors by writing the The Natural Step column in the Herald-Independent;
• Requesting the input of community members of all ages by asking, “What are your hopes and dreams for a green Monona?” They answered with artwork in our community postcard art project, A Valentine to Monona.  Opening on Valentine’s Day, 2008, the exhibit at the Monona Public Library had 197 entries; and
• Participating in making our city policies and practices more sustainable by applying and being appointed to the City of Monona Sustainability Committee. Five members of The Natural Step Monona have volunteered their time and energy to the committee, which prepared a winning grant proposal for the city’s participation in the Energy Independent Communities program, organized the well-received Green Monona Tour, and is working on a conservation water rate structure for the utility.