Abby Hoover
Managing Editor

Jerusalem Farm, a Catholic Intentional community located in Pendleton Heights, hosted a Historic Northeast Sustainability Town Hall on Saturday, Feb. 11, to bring together experts in different fields of sustainability.

A panel featuring five representatives from different organizations doing work in the Northeast discussed sustainability-related topics and took questions from attendees.

The panelists were Stephen VanRhein, Environmental Manager with KC Parks; Lara Isch, Sustainability Manager in the Kansas City, Mo., Office of Environmental Quality; Jeff Soltis, Co-director of Kansas City Regional Clean Cities for the Metropolitan Energy Center; Christina Baanders-Decker, owner-operator of Midwest Cyclery; and Adam Rossi, AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Jerusalem Farm.

The panel covered topics like Kansas City, Missouri’s Climate Protection and Resiliency Plan, bike lanes and electric bikes, parks and green spaces, solar panel installations, and electric vehicles and charging stations.

Groups like Ryogoku Soccer Academy – whose students are working on creative sustainability projects – Sunrise Movement, Sierra Club, and others were in attendance to share resources and engage with the community.

Jerusalem Farm’s members practice sustainable living and help the neighborhood with minor home repair, composting and other green initiatives.