Source: AmericanTowns and GreenTowns.com
Built on AmericanTowns’ Local Platform, GreenTowns’ Partners at Launch Include Reader’s Digest, Bob Vila, E-The Environmental Magazine
AmericanTowns is launching GreenTowns.com, a new online network that connects and celebrates green initiatives and their leaders, locally and nationally. Now, through GreenTowns, residents of 15,000 towns and cities in the United States are invited to discover, share and support inspiring sustainability efforts in their community, between towns, and across a range of environmental concerns.
GreenTowns.com is a free service for green non-profit organizations and local communities. It plans to be self-supported through local, green-conscious sponsors, following the local business model which brought AmericanTowns.com to profitability within two years of its national launch.
“We are adding a new dimension to the green landscape available online by featuring green initiatives that are working, spotlighting ways to get involved and sparking local interaction,” said Daphne Dixon, Director of GreenTowns. “By sharing the expertise and enthusiasm of both dedicated specialists and local citizens who care, GreenTowns will be a valuable resource and a catalyst for change, as it connects and supports local green efforts across the country.”
Building on the technology and communication tools that power AmericanTowns.com – currently organizing and sharing information on hyper-local events, announcements, local resources and community organizations in 15,000 towns across America – GreenTowns.com features local sustainability initiatives that are searchable by location and category. GreenTowns will also offer green community pages for each town in a feature called “How Green Is Your Town.” In partnership with Reader’s Digest, “How Green Is Your Town” will invite users to share additional local green initiatives and will help each community identify ways their town could become greener. Initiatives of special note and the people leading them will also be featured on AmericanTowns community websites and, in select cases, in Reader’s Digest.
A broad range of environmental issues are brought together in GreenTowns.com including: building, energy, food, land and conservation, lifestyle, connections, recycling, transportation and water. Subject matter experts including Bob Vila, and category advisors will supplement content and facilitate conversations through blogs and the sharing of questions, information and support across topics and throughout the site.
In the coming months, GreenTowns.com will also provide a hub for local green events: community organizations and environmental nonprofits will be able to post their information for free, utilizing the calendar and resource tools that have been a popular feature on AmericanTowns.com. Local e-mail updates will keep subscribers informed.
“We are applying the technological foundation we designed and implemented successfully for AmericanTowns.com to now directly benefit green efforts,” said Theodore Buerger, AmericanTowns Chairman and co-founder. “Our ultimate goal with GreenTowns.com is to create a trusted network for sustainable communities — a source of information, inspiration and connection that will further the greening of America.”
National, regional and local partnering organizations announced at the launch of GreenTowns.com include Reader’s Digest, Bob Vila, E-The Environmental Magazine, Go Green Expo, Conscious Decisions, Edibles Advocate Alliance, Planet Fuel and SoundWaters.
