1 Kearsarge Valley Transition and Happiness Initiative Final Report Colby-Sawyer College Environmental Studies and Science Community Based Research Project Fall 2012-Spring 2013 This report is respectfully submitted by the Colby-Sawyer College Environmental Studies and Sciences Community Based Research Project. The members of this project are: Ryan Bernstein, Luke Boyajian, Paul Boynton, Victoria Dake, Jillian Dervishian, Garrett March, Andrew Pehoviak, Phurchhoki Sherpa, Jenisha Shrestha, George Sousa and Jonathan Wylie. 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 6 Background ............................................................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 16 The Happiness Initiative .................................................................................................................................... 17 Happiness Survey ............................................................................................................................................ 18 Outreach for Happiness Survey .................................................................................................................. 19 Results ................................................................................................................................................................ 20 Kearsarge Valley Transition Initiative ........................................................................................................... 27 Task Force ......................................................................................................................................................... 27 Process ................................................................................................................................................................ 28 Events & Outreach .............................................................................................................................................. 29 Summary of Events ........................................................................................................................................ 29 Movie Screening for In Transition 1.0 ................................................................................................. 29 Transition Training .................................................................................................................................... 30 Presentation by Poly-Recovery .............................................................................................................. 32 Transition Town: The Human Side of Permaculture ....................................................................... 33 Movie Screening for Story of Stuff ........................................................................................................ 33 Solarize Your Community: A Presentation by ReVision Energy ................................................ 34 Farms to Institutions .................................................................................................................................. 35 Movie Screening for Surviving Progress ............................................................................................ 35 Kearsarge Valley Going Local: Local Food, Local Business, Local Skills .............................. 36 Visions of the Past ...................................................................................................................................... 37 Working Groups .............................................................................................................................................. 37 Summary of Outreach .................................................................................................................................... 38 Summary of Statistics .................................................................................................................................... 39 Next Steps .............................................................................................................................................................. 41 Energy Descent Action Plan ........................................................................................................................ 41 Internship Program ......................................................................................................................................... 41 Recommendations................................................................................................................................................ 43 The Happiness Initiative ............................................................................................................................... 43 Kearsarge Valley Transition Initiative ...................................................................................................... 43 Resiliency Survey ........................................................................................................................................... 44 General Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 44 3 Concluding Statement ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Appendix A: The Big List ................................................................................................................................. 47 New London Contacts ................................................................................................................................... 47 Sunapee Contacts ............................................................................................................................................ 49 Bradford Contacts ........................................................................................................................................... 50 Wilmot Contacts .............................................................................................................................................. 51 Andover Contacts ............................................................................................................................................ 52 Warner Contacts .............................................................................................................................................. 53 Newbury Contacts ........................................................................................................................................... 54 Sutton Contacts ................................................................................................................................................ 54 Springfield Contacts ....................................................................................................................................... 55 Appendix B: Kearsarge Valley Transition Task Force ............................................................................. 56 Appendix C: Event & Outreach Metrics ....................................................................................................... 57 List of Events ................................................................................................................................................... 57 Appendix D: General Event Planning Checklist ........................................................................................ 58 Officer in charge: ............................................................................................................................................ 58 Budget Planning Worksheet ........................................................................................................................ 60 Post Event Evaluation .................................................................................................................................... 61 Appendix E: Press Releases .............................................................................................................................. 62 Press Release for Transition Training ....................................................................................................... 62 Andover Beacon Article ................................................................................................................................ 63 Press Release for Poly Recovery Event .................................................................................................... 65 Press Release for Permaculture- Transition Weekend ......................................................................... 66 Press Release for ReVision Energy Talk ................................................................................................. 67 Press Reselase for Kearsarge Valley Local Food Matchmaker and Trade Show ........................ 68 Press Release for Kearsarge Valley