One thing can be rightfully said about the majority of us who live in this fair city, we love our green spaces and respect the natural beauty of the environment around us. Not just locally either. Most of us are smart enough to realize the importance of protecting the delicate ecological balance on this planet we call home, both globally and right here in our own backyards.

So it is with great pride and a sense of dutiful honor that many of us are enthusiastically participating in this week’s “SustainaVille Week” activities.

It kicked off on Saturday with the great Annual Spring Clean Up, a favorite with local volunteers who eagerly embrace the opportunity to pitch in and do a little detailing around the city’s environs, picking up scraps and bits of refuse that might otherwise get overlooked through the course of the year. Seldom does such a large-scale “housekeeping” project evolve into a full-blown party atmosphere enjoyed by all who participate. It’s just one example of the spirit of volunteerism that characterizes the best qualities of those who call this city home.

The green consciousness flows onward throughout the whole week with events such as Tiny Great Outdoors Festival, Environmental Storytime, Spring Cleanup & BBQ, Walk/Ride Day Kickoff, Carbon Neutrality Teach-In, Participatory U.N.-Style Climate Talks and more.

It’s an opportunity to reconnect with our commitment to sustainability and responsible stewardship of our environment. We have to live with it, folks. We may as well make it the best it can be.