History Timeline
1998
May – 80 individuals participate in a half-day session with Torbjorn Lahti co-founder of Sustainable Sweden and father of the eco-municipality movement in Sweden.
June – “Sustain Dane” is chosen as the group’s name and the ECOMDA listserv (an acronym for Eco Madison/ Dane Area) is created.
September – Sustain Dane helps in the formation of the Madison Area Sustainable Lifestyle Campaign to manage the Eco-Team program. This popular program would later evolve into EnAct.
1999
May – Sustain Dane begins to promote the Northwest Earth Institute discussion courses throughout the community.
August – Sustain Dane launches www.SustainDane.org, a clearinghouse of local and national sustainabilty information and resources.
September – Sustain Dane assists with the 1st Food for Thought Festival, an annual celebration of sustainable food.
2000
March – The 100th community member enrolls in one of the five NWEI discussion courses offered by Sustain Dane.
July & September – Sustain Dane presents Footprint Follies, a comedy theater performance to amuse and educate about the ecological footprint; developed and performed in cooperation with members of the Milwaukee Public Theater.
December – Sustain Dane launches the new Sustain Dane listserv, a forum for community members to share ideas, resources, questions, and announcements related to local sustainability. Eighty-Seven community members join immediately.
2001
January – In partnership with MG&E and the South Central Library System, Sustain Dane develops a resource collection and associated pamphlet of books available to the community members covering a wide range of sustainability topics.
April – The 250th community member enrolls in one of the five NWEI discussion courses offered by Sustain Dane.
October – The 1,000th message is posted to the Sustain Dane listserv.
November – With the support of MG&E, Sustain Dane publishes 500 copies of its first edition of the Madison Area Sustainability directory, which includes 120 local organizations.
2002
December – Sustain Dane hires it's first full-time staff member.
2003
February – Sustain Dane welcomes its 200th active participant on the Sustain Dane listserv.
March – Sustain Dane moves into it’s first office space and soon thereafter becomes a 501 c3 non-profit.
October – The 3,000th message is posted to the Sustain Dane listserv.
2004
January:
- Sustain Dane receives it's first-ever grant from Madison Community Foundation.
- Sustain Dane launches PRISM, providing easy access to the spectrum of news from local media and local organizations related to economic, social and environmental sustainability in Dane County.
February – Sustain Dane’s website averages 500 visitors per week.
March – Sustain Dane becomes the first non-profit organization to join Community Car.
July – Sustain Dane pilots NeighborNation.net in three Madison neighborhoods.
November – Sustain Dane begins to organize and offer Natural Step for Community study circles.
2005
January – Sustain Dane’s website averages 1,000 visitors per week.
March – Sustain Dane welcomes its 350th active participant on the Sustain Dane listserv.
June – Sustain Dane hosts the Madison Summit and helps form the North American Eco-Municipality Network.
June – Sustain Dane hosts a gathering of Natural Step for Communities study circle alumni. Three Sustainability Action Groups are formed.
July – Sustain Dane board member, Dave Boyer, is appointed to the City of Madison Sustainable Design and Energy Committee.
September – The first Healthy, Children, Healthy Planet course is started in Dane County.
2006
January:
- Sustain Dane introduces the Official Green Guide for Visitors in collaboration with the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau and MG&E.
- The 1,000th community member enrolls in one of the six NWEI discussion courses offered by Sustain Dane.
February – Sustain Dane hires a second full time staff member to coordinate the Rain Barrel project.
March –The 120th community member participates in a Natural Step for Community study circle. Over eight communities outside of Dane County have also offered Natural Step for Community study circles.
May – Sustain Dane receives the 400th order for a Rain Barrel.
June – Sustain Dane hosts the Midwest Regional NWEI Discussion Course Training with the UW-Arboretum with over 50 participants from ten different states.
July – Sustain Dane welcomes the 11th participating Madison neighborhood to NeighborNation.net.