Please join us to consider next steps for Resilient Barnet (and beyond)
Date: Wednesday, April 18, 2018 – 7:00-9:00pm
Place: Barnet Public Library, 147 Church St.

Barnet and neighboring towns are changing. Our population is aging, weather is becoming more erratic, local businesses are struggling, and many residents still don't have access to high speed internet or cell coverage. We do have an abundance of soil, water, and forest resources, natural beauty, and talented, hard working citizens. What can we do – as a town and a wider community -- to help each other thrive and prosper into an increasingly uncertain future? This question was paramount in the minds of those of us who initiated Resilient Barnet as an ad hoc group to explore possibilities.

What we learned in our modest efforts to interact with our community last summer is that Barnet residents have a proud tradition of community resilience. When we heard about the recent community planning initiative carried out recently in Peacham, which generated a lot of citizen participation and engagement, we decided to find out how we could do something similar. How might we build on Peacham's success, and begin to combine efforts locally to meet common needs?

We have also been participating in a statewide initiative to help develop Community Resilience Organizations or CROs. CROs began soon after Irene hit hard in Central Vermont towns. CRO's organizers recognized the need to both better prepare for future extreme weather events and build community adaptation to change in general.

We are fortunate to have both Geoff Sewake, lead organizer for Peacham's public forum, and Mindy Blank, Executive Director of CROs, to help us learn from their experience and identify possible next steps for our community.

Please join us and pass this invitation along to anyone else you think would be interested in learning more about building community resilience and Peacham's experience. All area residents, town officers, and concerned citizens are welcome.