I am writing to support Verona’s environmental group, Sustain Verona.

As a follow up to David Londsdorf’s informative article last week, I want to encourage people to get involved. Sustain Verona is a local group made up of concerned residents of the city and town of Verona. We can use your help and ideas.

We are realizing that if we want to see change in policies and action, we need to move ahead. After seeing the progress some neighboring towns have made, we have launched a major project raising money with the school district to put solar panels on VAHS.

You will be hearing a lot about this in the near future and we will be looking for your support. Decreasing our fossil fuel dependency is a major issue and Sustain Verona is following a variety of paths toward that.

We are seeking to improve efforts by both the City and the Town to preserve green spaces and farmland. As a 36 year resident of the town, I have seen farmland and the green spaces between Madison and Verona shrink dramatically.

We have connected with Wisconsin Dark Sky to learn how to prevent or reduce light pollution and save electricity. Businesses and housing developments lit up all night and pointing their lights at the sky have diminished the ability to see stars, messed with wildlife and people’s sleeping habits, and increased our electricity needs.

Native planting in public and personal spaces saves water and promotes wildlife on many levels. This is a personal interest of mine, as it is for many others. The city has already made a commitment to increasing the number of native plants in public areas. My hope is to see more in both city and town.

Together we can build a sustainable Verona. You can find us at sustainverona.com Reach out, ask questions, join us. This is a chance to make a difference.

Thank you.

Amy Armstrong

Verona