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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Energize Acton
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260422T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260422T180000
DTSTAMP:20260517T073703
CREATED:20260330T190505Z
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UID:10000083-1776875400-1776880800@energizeacton.org
SUMMARY:Clean Energy SCHOOL Tour
DESCRIPTION:The Boardwalk School Campus:\nAn Acton Clean Energy Success!\n  \nThis April\, EnergizeActon.org has a special treat—a Clean Energy SCHOOL Tour! \n  \nPlease register HERE. \nWe like to offer home tours\, so that local residents can see how clean energy technology actually works on the ground. It is also an important opportunity for people to ask questions of the host about what worked well\, what might have been challenging\, and what were the costs. However\, seeing clean energy on a larger scale is also incredibly helpful. This event\, co-sponsored with Mothers Out Front Acton\, celebrates the expertise and success of leadership from the Acton-Boxborough School District alongside additional hard work and achievement from Town of Acton staff. Join us and ask how clean energy works in school and municipal buildings. \nThe new Gates and Douglas Schools (commonly known as the Boardwalk Campus) are an amazing accomplishment for the school district. When planners first envisioned the project\, they estimated future energy efficiencies and savings. Well\, the Boardwalk Campus has consistently outperformed ALL those estimates! And this is true even though not every element of the clean energy project was implemented. We invite you to tour the building and see how clean energy choices do indeed work. \nIn 2024\, Mass Save recognized the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District as a Climate Leader for the Boardwalk Campus. Mass Save wrote that the award goes to “institutions that demonstrate excellence in reducing environmental impact and associated costs\, fostering the health and well-being of students and staff\, and implementing effective interdisciplinary sustainability education\,” standards met by Acton “with flying colors.” The school project also won a Green Building Showcase Award\, among other honors. \nThe Acton Exchange writes\, “The building\, which opened in 2022 and has drawn national attention\, includes a fully electric\, commercial-scale kitchen\, enhanced insulation\, ground-source heat pumps\, demand-control ventilation\, and energy recovery. Energy Use Intensity (EUI) goals for the building have exceeded state targets.” \n  \nJoin us to celebrate this success! \nPlease Register HERE. \nApologies\, but this tour is limited to 30 individuals. \nWe will keep a waiting list if we surpass 30 sign-ups.
URL:https://energizeacton.org/event/clean-energy-school-tour/
LOCATION:75 Spruce St.\, Acton\, MA\, 75 Spruce Street\, Acton\, MA\, 01720\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://energizeacton.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2026/03/Clean-Energy-SCHOOL-Tour-HOZ.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="EnergizeActon.org":MAILTO:energizeacton.org@gmail.com
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260422T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260422T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T073703
CREATED:20260331T200745Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T200745Z
UID:10000086-1776884400-1776888000@energizeacton.org
SUMMARY:Heat Pumps 101
DESCRIPTION:  \nGo Heat Pumps!\n  \nYou may have heard more people in Massachusetts talking about heat pumps—and for good reason. Heat pumps are an efficient\, all-electric system that can heat and cool your home while lowering emissions and improving comfort year-round. Join wonderful Bob Zogg of the HeatSmart Alliance and animated Kit Wu of the Laminar Collective to get an orientation to heat pumps\, how they work\, and how incentives can help you transition to clean energy. \nHere’s why heat pumps are gaining popularity across Massachusetts: \nHeating and cooling in one efficient system\nHeat pumps provide both heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. They’re highly efficient\, even in cold New England temperatures\, and can help lower your energy use. \nLower emissions and a cleaner energy future\nHeating with fossil fuels is one of the largest sources of climate pollution in Massachusetts. Switching to heat pumps helps reduce your home’s carbon footprint and supports the state’s transition to clean electricity. \nComfort\, safety\, and better indoor air quality\nHeat pumps don’t burn fuel inside your home\, which means no on-site combustion and fewer indoor air pollutants. They also provide steady\, even heating and cooling. \nIncentives can cover thousands of dollars\nPrograms like Mass Save offer generous rebates\, 0% interest financing\, and support to help make heat pumps more affordable. Additional programs through organizations like the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center may also be available. \n📣 Curious if heat pumps are right for you?\nJoin our webinar to learn how heat pumps work\, compare costs\, explore available incentives\, and learn how to get quotes from trusted installers. \n  \nApril 22\, 2026\, at 7:00 PM\n Register: bit.ly/heat-pumps-101\nTogether\, we can create more comfortable homes and a cleaner energy future for our communities. \n \nAn Acton Clean Energy Coach explains his heat pump system. (Photo: K. Root Watkins) \n  \n 
URL:https://energizeacton.org/event/heat-pumps-101/
LOCATION:Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://energizeacton.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2026/03/Heat-Pumps-101-Apr26-11-x-8.5-in.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="EnergizeActon.org":MAILTO:energizeacton.org@gmail.com
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260424T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260504T203000
DTSTAMP:20260517T073703
CREATED:20260331T184003Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T184003Z
UID:10000085-1777017600-1777926600@energizeacton.org
SUMMARY:Bioblitz! Nature of Acton and Boxborough 2026
DESCRIPTION:Please join the Nature of Acton and Boxborough 2026 Bioblitz this April.\n  \nWe invite you to document and celebrate biodiversity in Acton and Boxborough! Last year 26 participants made almost 1000 observations and identified over 500 species in the Acton and Boxborough area. Let’s make even more observations this year! How does one participate? You just need a smartphone\, the directions below\, and time outdoors between April 24–May 4\, 2026. \nDirections\n\nTo join\, first create an account on iNaturalist on your phone at www.iNaturalist.org.\nThen\, join our Project. You can search for our Project on the Community tab on your phone.\nSearch for Nature of Acton and Boxborough April 2026 or click here:   https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/nature-of-acton-and-boxborough-2026  (Please make sure you are joining the 2026 project\, not the 2025 project!)\n\n  \n \n  \nObservations can be uploaded from April 24–May 4\, 2026.  But the Boston Area City Nature Challenge will only count observations from April 24 to 27\, so it’s important to make observations during that time period as well. For more information about the Boston Area CNC\, visit: https://www.bostoncnc.org/ \nThere are over 2\,000 acres of conservation areas in Acton and Boxborough with a variety of habitats\, such as cattail marshes\, ponds\, open fields and dense forests. These habitats host snapping turtles\, reptiles\, frogs\, insects\, birds\, mammals\, and many plant species. Another 3\,000 acres of private land provides habitat for wildlife\, including two steps outside your door! What kind of wildlife lives here? Let’s find out this April! \nThen snap away at any plant\, animal or fungus you see and get it on our list. Can we break 500 species this year? Who can ID the most? Taking observations of wildlife helps advance science too! According to National Geographic\, “High quality data uploaded to iNaturalist become part of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility\, an open source database used by scientists and policy makers around the world.” \nThis is a fun activity for your family and to celebrate Earth Month.\nThis Bioblitz is a collaboration of people from  the Acton Conservation Trust\, the Boxborough Conservation Trust\, Energize Acton\, and the Town of Acton Sustainability Office\, along with individuals from Green Acton\, AB Steam\, Acton Men’s Outdoor Club\, Congregation Beth Elohim and the Discovery Museum.
URL:https://energizeacton.org/event/bioblitz-nature-of-acton-and-boxborough-2026/
LOCATION:Acton/Boxborough Yards\, Parks\, and Conservation Lands\, Acton\, 01720\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://energizeacton.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2026/03/Acton-Boxborough-BioBlitz-2026B-11-x-8.5-in.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="EnergizeActon.org":MAILTO:energizeacton.org@gmail.com
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260424T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260424T120000
DTSTAMP:20260517T073703
CREATED:20260406T154638Z
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UID:10000088-1777024800-1777032000@energizeacton.org
SUMMARY:Earth Week MiniFest
DESCRIPTION:Crafts\nStorytime\nFree Seedlings\nTree Planting \nand More!\n\nJoin the Acton Sustainability Office at the “Red House\,” 468 Main Street in Acton for lots of fun family activities brought to you by municipal employees and community volunteers. Just come on over! Parking is available at Town Hall and the Acton Memorial Library. \nHooray for the Earth!
URL:https://energizeacton.org/event/earth-week-minifest/
LOCATION:The Red House\, 468 Main St\, Acton\, 01720\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://energizeacton.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2026/04/MiniFest-Post-2026-scaled.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Acton Sustainabiity Office":MAILTO:sustainability@actonma.gov
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T200000
DTSTAMP:20260517T073703
CREATED:20260406T130437Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T133433Z
UID:10000087-1777489200-1777492800@energizeacton.org
SUMMARY:Climate Goals: Why Heat Pumps Matter
DESCRIPTION:Massachusetts Heat Pump Targets:\nWhere Do We Stand and Why Are They Important?\n  \nAs the MA legislature considers cutting clean energy incentives\, do climate goals still matter? Join Amanda Barker\, of the Green Energy Consumers Alliance\, as she looks at a specific slice of the climate picture–how we heat and cool our homes and buildings. What are Massachusetts heat pump goals and are we on track to meet them? Can heat pumps work in the north? Outlining Maine’s success story with cold weather heat pumps\, she looks at new Massachusetts heating and cooling solutions\, including the heat pump discount rate and the New England heat pump accelerator program. Please join us for this hopeful talk about heat pumps as part of a strong\, reliable energy future. \nEnergize Acton is celebrating heat pumps this month (ground source heat pumps—geothermal—in the Boardwalk Campus and air source heat pumps for households). Amanda’s talk will give us a bigger view as the State of Massachusetts takes on both  the challenges we face and the potential for success. \nSome Background \nLast fall\, a Massachusetts House of Representatives committee floated the idea of a significant step back from state climate goals. After an outcry from the environmental community\, this winter the Mass House of Representatives passed its new proposed climate bill* that saw improvements over the fall version. However\, it still includes major funding cuts to Mass Save. In effect\, without an alternative to Mass Save\, this is a step back from state climate targets for clean energy.  (*The Massachusetts Senate will do its own version of a climate bill and the two versions\, House and Senate\, will have to be reconciled.) \nSome voices in the media—and in the legislature—are saying that clean energy is too costly. They claim that\, by cutting back on Mass Save and slowing the transition to clean energy\, the state government can lower energy costs. \nMassachusetts energy costs are an incredibly valid issue. The question is\, “Will reducing our commitment to clean energy also reduce heating\, cooling\, and electricity costs for Massachusetts residents?” Energy in New England is a tough topic! But the Green Energy Consumers Alliance will lay out the argument that achieving climate goals for heat pumps and other forms of electrification will save costs in the long run and\, for many\, even in the short run. \nCurrent events bring home the reality that we live in a complicated world. Committing to renewable energy brings New England a higher degree of energy stability and reliability. Plus\, the western United States (really\, the west of all the Americas\, from Canada to Chile) just experienced an extraordinarily hot March\, racing past all previous records. This reminds us that fossil fuels also have costs. As much of the world is successfully implementing clean energy\, let’s remember . . . We can do this! And it could even be affordable!
URL:https://energizeacton.org/event/why-climate-goals-matter/
LOCATION:Zoom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://energizeacton.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2026/04/Media-Why-Heat-Pumps-Matter-8-x-8-in.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="EnergizeActon.org":MAILTO:energizeacton.org@gmail.com
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