History

• Sustainable Fairfax began as an inspiration to take local action on the global warming crisis in February of 1999.
• Our first educational event was held on September of 1999, soon after, Community Choice resolutions were passed unanimously by the town of Fairfax and the County of Marin. The town of Fairfax became the 365th local government worldwide to join The Cities for Climate Protection Campaign and the first town in Marin.
• Co-founders Rebekah Collins and Odessa Wolfe made a commitment to develop an organization intentionally focused on effective strategies that will achieve sustainability goals for the benefit of Fairfax.
• We hosted 12 educational Forums from 1999 -2003
• Worked with Drake High's SEA-DISC Internship program. Our interns learned the ropes of working with local government to foster positive change. They also worked with us to run our programs and host events. Interns from Dominican College in San Rafael played a major role in our event, ‘Creating Marin’s Energy Future.’
• Held and documented 5 Brainstorming Sessions on Fairfax General Plan Revision gathering town's people's concerns and ideas to present to the advisory committee.
• Initiated Fairfax installing Downtown Recycling Bins by building a working coalition composed of Fairfax, Chamber of Commerce, Town of Fairfax, Marin Resource and Recovery, Marin Conservation Corps, seven local artists and White Hill Students. Fairfax installed its first Downtown Recycling containers in March of 2001 and celebrated this success with a Recycle Fair on May 20th 2001. The mosaic plaques of native plants, animals, and insects are now displayed on all recycling containers.
• Began a Battery Recycling program - kicked off by a batteries for treats trade during Halloween of 2001 - Sustainable Fairfax kept an ongoing collection site for used household batteries-maintained and documented by volunteers. Altogether Sustainable Fairfax collected close to 1 1/2 tons of batteries over a 2-year period. Marin Hazardous Waste now maintains a collection site at every firehouse or city hall in Marin County.
• In the fall of 2001 we began to develop a site for a Sustainability Center in downtown Fairfax across from Town Hall.
• Created a project of Sustainable Fairfax called Marin CAN! (Clean Alternative energy Now!) A campaign to continue our work on local solutions to climate change.
• Core Board members began Training with Community at Work in 2004 and spent over a year dedicated to laying out organizational structure and purpose. Community at work donated all time and material to us.
• In 2004 the Board hired an Executive Director with non-profit and director experience to work as a consultant and help build a complete Board of Directors.
• In 2005 six new Board members were recruited to fulfill specific tasks needed to reach our goals and vision.
• In 2006 we a full board working hard to attain the vision and goals set forth.