SWAMPSCOTT – Both the Swampscott Conservancy and the Swampscott Renewable Energy Committee (SREC) held stands at the farmers market Sunday at Linscott Park to raise awareness and funds for environmental sustainability.
Conservancy board member Suzanne Hale stood before an array of native plants, answering questions from curious customers for the Conservancy Native Plant Sale Fundraiser. Her husband, Renewable Energy Committee Chair Ryan Hale stood across the street, dressed in a sun costume before a line of electric cars for the Renewable Energy Committee’s Electrify Swampscott event.
Suzanne Hale said that the native plant sale is not only a fundraiser for the conservancy, but a way to spread awareness about biodiversity.
“We have an annual native plant sale,” she said. “it’s a fundraiser for the Swampscott conservancy. And the reason we have it is to promote native plant awareness and to encourage biodiversity in our community.”
Suzanne Hale said that native Swampscott plant species’ have a natural relationship with the ecosystem and help to protect the environment.
“Native plants are different in that they have a built-in relationship with the rest of the creatures in our habitat. The plants that we are selling are hosts to caterpillars that turn into butterflies and pollinate our crops, for example,” Suzanne said. “There’s a built-in system there that ornamental plants that come from other continents don’t have, and to be able to have that balance is very important.”
Ryan Hale said that Electrify Swampscott follows SREC’s nearly 9-year-old Solarize Swampscott campaign, and it’s meant to inform the community on renewable energy products.
“The Electrify Swampscott event is a great way to raise awareness in the community about how people can take steps to reduce their carbon impact and also save money,” Ryan Hale said. “Whenever people are thinking about buying a new car or making improvements to their home, maybe it’s time to replace your hot water heater, or your air conditioner, or it’s time to replace a car, there’s a lot of options out there that a lot of residents may not know about.”
Ryan Hale added that while some might be hesitant to embrace new electric technologies, Electrify Swampscott is meant to inform and to answer any questions the public might have about renewable energy.
“I think we’re building awareness and we’re building support. There’s still people who have a lot of questions, and some people who have some hesitations, but that’s exactly why we’re here today- to continue to engage and make sure we understand people’s feedback and concerns,” he said.
