Hello residents of DeForest! We are Carolyn Shumaker and Julia Fechner, undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Carolyn is studying Landscape & Urban Studies, Geography, and Environmental Studies. Julia is studying Community & Environmental Sociology and Landscape and Urban Studies. Both are pursuing certificates in Public Policy and Integrative Design.

We are working through the UniverCity Alliance Scholars Program at UW that partners students with Wisconsin local governments. We were matched with the Village of DeForest to work on sustainability-related research to develop recommendations, and will be spending the semester researching different sustainable solutions the Village can implement. We both work at the UW-Madison Office of Sustainability, Carolyn as a Zero-Waste Project Assistant and Julia as an Intern on Green Certification and Academic Research teams.

As we work on this project, we would love to get your input and feedback on what topics surrounding sustainability that YOU care about! We feel that it is very important to centralize your community surrounding these sustainability initiatives to gain a better perspective and guide our research.

  • Sustainable Energy (Efficiency and Renewables)

  • Waste Reduction (Improved Recycling)

  • Community Gardens and Composting

  • Food Security/Sustainable Food System

  • Water and Wetland Preservation

  • Urban Foresrty

  • Outdoor Recreation

  • Native Plants and Habitat Restoration

  • Green Infrastructure/Developments

  • Village Systems Green Practices

Join the conversation! What aspects of sustainability are you most passionate about?

We want to hear from you! Whether it’s preserving natural resources, reducing waste, promoting clean energy, or creating more green spaces, share what sustainability means to you and how we can work together to make our community even more eco-friendly. Let’s spark ideas for a greener future!
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