BRATTLEBORO — Kathryn Blume, co-founder and Executive Director of Vermontivate!, an award-winning sustainability game, will be in Brattleboro on Wednesday, Nov. 6, hosted by the Brattleboro Energy Committee.
She'll be sharing the story of creating a frolicsome on-line/real-world competition which infuses joy and creativity into the serious and important work of tackling the global climate crisis.
Launched in May 2012, Vermontivate! has had players from towns all over the state racking up points for everything from changing lightbulbs and starting compost piles to writing energy-related poetry, decorating bicycles and reaching out to people around the world who've been affected by climate change.
From curious beginners, to folks looking to save a little money, to green living mavens hoping to share their experiences with others, people at all levels of awareness and engagement found a sense of fun, hope, and possibility around their capacity to make positive change at home and in their communities.
Brattleboro nearly won the 2012 competition, but was edged out in an 11th hour victory by Montpelier, which won the Grand Prize Award, a town-wide ice cream party from Ben and Jerry's. The 2013 round of the game came down to an intense battle between teams from South Burlington, Calais, and Charlotte, which also squeaked out a last minute win.
“Climate change is the most significant issue we face as a species,” says Blume, and,” she adds, “given that we just hit a record 400 parts per million carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it seems time to kick the Culture of Solutions into high gear with a potent combination of innovation, competition, and a little old-fashioned bribery.”
Vermontivate! won the 2012 Best Energy Project Award from the Vermont Energy And Climate Action Network. “The players,” says Blume, “have told us that Vermontivate! is engaging, entertaining, and educational, and that, most importantly, it's an antidote to despair. Our ultimate goal is helping Vermont lead the way for the rest of the country. Because really, we're all in this together.”
Blume's presentation will start at 5 p.m. at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, 28 Vernon St. For more information, contact Paul Cameron at 802-251-8135 or pcameron@brattleboro.org.