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New VBS sustainability committee puts plans into action
Published
4 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Doug Hare EBS STAFF
BIG SKY – On Nov. 21, numerous Big Sky community leaders comprising the newly formed Visit Big Sky Sustainability Committee sat down for a presentation from Matt Elsaesser, owner of 406 Recycling based out of Helena, Montana.
Elsaesser discussed his role in helping reduce the utilization of single-use plastics and maximizing the recycling rates at events like the Peak to Sky festival and the Big Sky PBR. The meeting of minds was the second time the committee had met together in person.
“Candace [Carr Strauss] had initially approached me about starting a sustainability-oriented group to get things moving along,” said Josh Treasure, general manager of Roxy’s Market and the chairman of the committee. “Eric Morrison, Jessie Wiese and myself had been a small group working on these things for the past few years. When Candace approached us it was perfect because we were able to use some of Visit Big Sky’s existing infrastructure to get more people on board.”
Sustainability is based on a simple principle. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “most everything we need for our survival and well-being depends, either directly or indirectly, on our natural environment.” Pursuing sustainability entails creating and maintaining the conditions whereby humans and nature can exist in productive harmony to support both present and future generations. Potential solutions to sustainability problems, however, are often complex—especially in popular tourist destinations like ski towns.
“Ultimately, we’ll have a 1-year plan, 5-year plan, 10-year plan and a 25-year plan that we can put together, but right now we’re focusing on some small battles that we think we can win to get some momentum going,” Treasure said of the group’s progress.
Those initial battles include establishing viable, robust composting and recycling programs throughout Big Sky and maximizing participation. Treasure hopes that eventually every Big Sky business will have a composting bin and __ recently added a recycling bin behind Roxy’s Market. Going forward, the committee will be working with Republic Services for their recycling efforts and YES Compost to handle compostable products.
Many of the committee members, which include representatives from the Yellowstone Club, the Hungry Moose Market and Deli, Big Sky Resort, the Gallatin River Task Force and Town Center, are also pursuing accreditation from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
The GSTC training program teaches baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism. As a basis for certification, GSTC courses also inform about awareness-raising, policy-making for businesses, government agencies and other organization types, as well as measurement and evaluation of the effectiveness of various sustainable strategies and their results.
Treasure is optimistic about what the future holds for Big Sky and wants our mountain town to set the standard for putting environmentally conscious policies into effect for mountain towns worldwide.
“The biggest obstacle for improving sustainability right now is communication amongst local business owners and community at large,” he said. “Education and communication will be key going forward.”
The next meeting of the VBS Sustainability Committee is scheduled for Dec. 19 at the Visit Big Sky office building.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
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Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for free music from Jacob Rountree at the Wilson Hotel Lobby Bar from 5-7 p.m.
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Please join the Arts Council of Big Sky for free music from Jacob Rountree at the Wilson Hotel Lobby Bar from 5-7 p.m. on April 24.
Jacob Rountree is an alternative/indie songwriter living in the stunning alpine of Montana. Contemplative yet playful, his lyric forward style is reflective of his love for philosophy, poetry and quantum physics.
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(Wednesday) 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
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The Wilson Hotel
145 Town Center Ave
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Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
Event Details
Trivia from 7 to 9 p.m. at The Waypoint in Town Center. Participation is free, food and beverages available.
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(Wednesday) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
The Waypoint
50 Ousel Falls Rd