This past Fall, our team continued to offer presentations, and recently, field trips, to increase our understanding of aspects of climate change and sustainability. Rev. Joan and Rev. Small added their voices to amplify and extend them. We also have a variety of projects going on.

August: helped organize Third Act VT/Washington County’s electric vehicle show and tell.

September: held field trip to the Organics Recycling Facility in Williston; On SunDay, Rev. Joan gave a sermon on “Our Kinship with the Earth.”

October: Michele Braun, Director of Friends of the Winooski River, led a river walk explaining their work around the Dog River in Northfield; Rev. Fred Small offered a sermon, “The Peace of Trees,” and a workshop, “Give Light: Spiritual Support for Climate Engagement,” cosponsored by VIPL, VNRC and VIA.

November: Ned Swanberg, Vermont’s Flood Hazard Mapping Coordinator, spoke on “Future Flooding in Central VT;” Barbara
Conrey hosted a trip to her new net zero Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) above her garage.

December: Cara Robechek, deputy director of the Energy Action Network, reviewed their annual report and discussed its most significant findings.

The big news is that this month (December, 2025), we began to use B99 biofuel to heat our building, the most significant action UCM has taken recently to reduce our carbon footprint. Congratulations to all who helped bring this about!

Other projects: The Energy Resource Bank continues to grow. It lists congregation members who were early adopters of climate-friendly upgrades to their homes and lifestyles and are wiling to share their experiences. Contact us to be added to the list!

The Rx Bottle Recycling project has been collecting clean medication bottles too small for local recycling, shipping them to the Matthew Ministries in Ohio, where they are sent on to countries which need them. The Montpelier Senior Activity Center joined in the effort. This is on hold at the moment while we try to find a funding source to pay for the mailings.

Our Climate Action Bulletin Board continues to offer a variety of news, updates, and best practices.

Work is underway to develop UCM as a hub during disasters, with electric outlets available to the public for charging electronic devices.

Our team is blessed to have a great group of creative and hard working members. For the past year and a half it has included Diana Chace, Allen Clark, Tim Flynn, Anne Sarcka, Peter Watt, and Karen Voll. We were fortunate to have Maryann Ludlow and Karen Dribben join during the summer/fall, and recently a few more – Geoff Brumbaugh, Malcolm Fitzpatrick, Dan Tartaglia, and Andrea Warnke – signed up -thank you!

We welcome suggestions as to what you would like us to do/offer/organize in the coming year. ~Anne Sarcka, interim chair