 Make time tonight (30 seconds) before the midnight deadline to sign this petition asking Governor Healey, Senate President Spilka, and Speaker Mariano to pass the Make Polluters Pay bill, H.1014/S.588. This would create a Climate Change Superfund to bolster disaster response across the Commonwealth. The organizers are dropping it at the State House tomorrow and your signature is helpful.
Background: Since 1995, Massachusetts has experienced 35 extreme weather disasters with damages totaling $10 billion, not including loss of life, livelihood, environmental degradation, medical costs, and projected GDP. Cities and towns across Massachusetts have a woefully insufficient average annual budget of $5,000 for disaster response. The State’s piecemeal approach to disaster recovery through one-time appropriations has left our communities increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. And who is carrying the financial burden of these impacts? Taxpayers.  Photo Credit: Charles River Chamber of Commerce Last week Sustainable Wellesley proudly accepted the Charles River Chamber of Commerce's Non Profit Impact Award. Our community nominated us as the the nonprofit organization that has made a significant difference in the lives of others through its programs, initiatives, and advocacy. Thank you to those who nominated Sustainable Wellesley!
"Sustainable Wellesley is a driving force for local climate action — promoting waste reduction, clean energy, and sustainable transportation by engaging residents, businesses, and town leaders," The Chamber said. Captain Marden’s Seafoods received the Business Excellence Award and Peter J. Mongeau President of the Peter J. Mongeau, President of the Wellesley Historical Society won the Community Impact Award.  Wellesley Village Church will host its 82nd Annual Rummage Sale on November 15th 9am-1pm so add it to your calendar!
Early birds will start lining up before 9am outside Wellesley Village Church for the annual Rummage Sale. At 9am, the doors will open and the crowd will start shopping the sale in the church basement. This sale features thousands of gently used items for sale at bargain prices. Items are organized into departments, with dedicated spaces for women’s clothing, accessories and shoes, children's clothing and toys, men’s wear, kitchen and home goods, and more. The Chic Boutique is a perennial favorite, specializing in higher-end women’s designer clothing, purses and shoes. More than 100 volunteers work together to make the sale the “best one day thrifting event in Boston.” For over 80 years, this sale has brought community together, saved lots of volume from the landfill and generated about $400,000 that has been deployed to charities helping children and families nearby and farther away. Shop the sale: November 15th 9am-1pm. $2 entry fee. Find your treasure!  Join Wellesley's Natural Resources Commission, Landscape Interactions, and Sustainable Wellesley at the Wellesley Free Library, for a Fall Seed Collection and Winter Sow Workshop on November 8th, 2025, from 1-4 PM. Bring some clear plastic bottles or jugs like juice or liter sized soda bottles, all other materials will be provided. For more information email questions here. Sign up for the free event here.
Some of the seeds are from Wellesley's Simons Park Habit to Habitat Pollinator Garden which is in it's second growing season. If you have not been by, check out the park, next to the library to see it blooming with native flowering plants that support important local pollinator species. This 10,000 square foot garden is an oasis for birds, rabbits, insects and other animals, including humans who have been enjoying the enriched habitat. Thank you NRC for your work on this!  A message from Wellesley's Natural Resources Commission:
As fall gets underway and leaves fall from the trees, remember leaves are not litter. Leaves play an important role in fall and winter. Leaving leaves where they fall provide overwintering places for many insects and larger animals, as leaves decay they return vital nutrients to the soil and protect plants by forming a natural blanket that protects plants and animals from the cold harsh winter weather. So put away those leaf blowers and rakes and enjoy the beautiful fall colors, and remember to just leave the leaves.  Single-use food ware is a huge and growing portion of the waste stream entering landfills and incinerators, and polluting city streets and waterways. In the U.S., 561 billion disposable food service items are used every year, resulting in 4.9 million tons of waste.
Americans use more than 36 billion utensils and as much as 142 billion straws each year. Most restaurants provide these accessories for take-out meals even if the customer doesn’t need them. Thankfully, beginning in January 2026, all food service establishments in Wellesley will provide single-use items ONLY by customer request or at a self-service counter. This new Board of Health bylaw, known as Skip the Stuff, was passed by 2025 Annual Town Meeting and is intended to: 1) Reduce the amount of waste generated by single-use articles, 2) Change customer habits, 3) Help reduce unnecessary costs to food service establishments. Single-use food ware is a huge and growing portion of the waste stream entering landfills and incinerators, and polluting city streets and waterways. Thank you to all food service establishments who will be asking customers if they want utensils or condiments. Watch for much more information on "Skip the Stuff" in the coming months from the Health Department, the Climate Action Committee, and the RDF.  The Town of Wellesley is "leading the charge" toward sustainable land care by replacing noisy, gas-powered landscaping tools with battery-electric equipment. You have probably seen Wellesley’s Department of Public Works and the Park & Tree Division uses a variety electric tools, including battery-powered riding and push mowers, string trimmers and weed whackers, leaf blowers (handheld and backpack), even this self driving one.
Not only are they quieter and easier to maintain, these electric tools produce zero direct emissions, helping the Town meet its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal. Consider electric lawn care equipment at your home (snow blowers too!) whether you are doing it yourself, or you have a service doing it. Here are some landcare companies that have electric equipment. If you know of others that should be on our list, email us at [email protected]. Enjoy the quiet!  Bring your family to the Wellesley Trails Committee's Morses Pond Kids Trails Day this Saturday, September 27, from 10-11:30 a.m.
This annual family-friendly event invites children to explore nature in the beautiful woods at Morse’s Pond. Participants follow written clues to search for hidden treasure boxes using the activity of letterboxing. Refreshments will be served at the end of the activities. Children must be accompanied by an adult.  This photo is a sneak peak of Wellesley's Halloween Costume Swap set up at the Recycling and Disposal Facility (dump). Drop off your pre-loved costumes and pick up new ones at the Take and Leave at the dump or on the Facebook groups Wellesley Give and Take and/or Buy Nothing Wellesley, MA.
For more Halloween ideas, check out what Beyond Plastics suggests below to make your Halloween celebrations fun and spooky without contributing to the avalanche of single-use plastic pollution this fall. Costumes Try to avoid buying new costumes in one of those desperate last-minute trips to the seasonal Halloween Stores that pop up like mushrooms in October because they are cheaply made and are almost always made entirely from plastic. Instead, plan ahead and visit your local thrift store to find they key elements you need to make your own costumes. Most thrift stores also have pre-loved costumes for sale and you may find a great ready-made costume that way if you start looking early enough. You can also try to borrow either a whole costume or the key elements you need to create your own from a friend or family member. I’ve found that social media can be a big help in crowdsourcing costume ideas, entire costumes, or just certain “ingredients” for them. Likewise, if you have costumes your kids have outgrown or that you’ve grown tired of, snap a few photos of them and invite your friends to use them this year. Hopefully, they’ll return the favor and you can all save some time, money, and material from the landfill this way. Decorations If you want to deck out your house, go for it! But do your best to steer clear of single-use and cheap plastic items that are likely to end up in the trash after a single use. Fortunately, nature makes a gorgeous line of non-toxic, fully compostable Halloween decorations in the form of pumpkins and other decorative gourds along with hay bales, reeds, and ornamental corn. Here are a few ideas to try, all of which are great activities to do with kids:
Candy is the trickiest (pun intended) place to avoid single-use plastic as many Halloween favorites come wrapped in impossible to recycle combo foil and plastic wrappers or just straight up plastic wrappers, all of which will end up in the trash or littered on the ground in your building, neighborhood, or town. Here are a few suggestions for ways to avoid plastic wrappers.
 Thinking about ways to reduce your plastic usage?
Check out Fulfilled Goods, the area's first low-waste market offering package-free pantry staples, dry goods, personal care items and sustainable cleaning products. They are opening their second store, located in Newton Center inside Derby Farm Flowers this Saturday September 20th! Come on by between 11-6 for a day of deals and discounts, product samples, raffles, and giveaways! It’s also the third anniversary of the opening of Fulfilled Goods’ original Newtonville location. Fulfilled Goods - Newton Centre / Derby Farm Flowers are located at 1280 Centre Street and open 11-6 Tuesday - Saturday Fulfilled Goods Newtonville is located at 612 Washington Street and open 12-6 Wednesday / Thursday and 11-5 Friday / Saturday / Sunday  The runoff collected by Wellesley's storm drains goes directly into our watershed. Any materials on the surfaces of storm drains, such as pesticides and fertilizers, oil or gas from car exhausts and trash can all be washed into our watershed during a rain event.
Jeffrey Peng, a senior student in Wellesley High School wants our community to know about this and how they can take action. He, with the Assistant Senior Patrol Leader of Boy Scout in the Wellesley Troop 185, led a group of more than 20 scouts and 9 adult volunteers, working for more than 6 hours to execute his Eagle Project on Saturday in Wellesley. They successfully accomplished his Eagle Scout Project - labeling/painting signs of "No Dumping Drains to River" reminders for more than 200 Wellesley Storm Drains near Wellesley Fuller Brook Watershed area, which is one of the most populated living spaces. This Eagle Project is done to create a public service announcement explaining about storm drains and how they impact our watershed. The accomplishment of this Eagle Project will help educate town residents about the need to decrease pesticide and fertilizer use, clean up trash, and not dump anything into the storm drains. Thank you and congratulations to Jeffrey for this big achievement!  Wellesley is still facing significant drought conditions.
The Town reports our drought status is at Level 1. Level 1 drought restrictions allow limited non-essential outdoor water use before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m. Odd numbered address may water on Tuesdays and even numbered addresses may water on Fridays. If the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force declares a drought advisory (Level 3 or higher), non-essential outdoor water use will be banned entirely unless an exemption is provided by DPW. As part of the Town of Wellesley's ongoing conservation efforts the Water Division encourages prudent watering and lawn irrigation. Watering deeply and less frequently helps promote healthy root growth for a drought tolerant lawn. Check out the Natural Resources Commission webpage here for more information and tips for healthy lawns and landscaping. For more information about the drought status in Massachusetts, check out the State’s website here.  Get this on your calendar!
Curious about heat pumps? Interested in financial incentives and lower energy bills? Motivated to take climate action right in your own home? You are invited to Wellesley's Heat Pump Pizza Party Info Session on October 16th from 6:30-8:30pm at the Wellesley Free Library. Hear from heat pump experts and installers, Town staff, and neighbors about how heating and cooling with heat pumps can lower your energy bills and carbon footprint. Participants will hear presentations, ask questions, and leave with a basic understanding of: How heat pumps work How heat pumps benefit human health and the environment How to navigate contracting and installation, and How to take advantage of financial incentives RSVP Here Event Schedule: 6:30-7:00 PM: Pizza and Socializing 7:00-8:30 PM: Presentations and Q&A This event is hosted by the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant in partnership with Wellesley Climate Action. Date: Thursday, October 16, 2025 Time: 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM Location: Wellesley Free Library – Main Branch 530 Washington St  Resurrect your favorite shirt, jeans or sweaters.
Art Wellesley is partnering with HipStitch Wellesley, for this fun workshop where you will learn the art of Creative Mending. Creative mending is a technique that transforms damaged or worn clothing into unique, artistic pieces. Instead of hiding repairs, creative mending highlights them with visible stitches, patches, or other decorative elements. This approach not only extends the life of clothing but also adds a personal touch and reduces textile waste. Bring in a favorite worn item for repair. Hipstitch and Art Wellesley will provide fabric, thread and direction to guide you through the process of creative mending. Fee: $40 per person. REGISTER HERE  Please join us for the kick off Wellesley Green Schools meeting of they year on Thursday, September 18th at 10am in the Common Area at The Wellesley Free Library.
Find out what is in store for the school year and share what is important to you/your school community. This collaborative group works together to reduce Wellesley schools' footprint and inspire students to create a healthy sustainable world. At this meeting we will brainstorm on priorities of the year, share Green Team/PTO Partnership Guide, the SMART Event Guide, the Anti-idling Tent Card and talk about the Halloween Costume Swap. Learn more about Wellesley Green Schools here. In order for Wellesley Green Schools to make a difference we need you!!! Maybe you have a child that just started school or maybe your kids have graduated; either way, the time commitment is low and we would love to work with you. Consider joining our meeting or reach out with any questions [email protected].  Click image for more tax credits info (in order of expiration). Thanks Rewiring America Thinking about a new, used, leased electric vehicle, rooftop solar, hot water heaters and/or home heat pumps? Stack Federal clean energy tax credits on top of BIG local incentives and rebates while the Federal ones last. Even though the Federal tax credits are being revoked, note that Wellesley and MA.’s local incentives are often much bigger. But why not get both? • Buy or lease a qualified EV with purchase and delivery by September 30 to claim the federal tax credit (up to $7,500 for a new vehicle and up to $4,000 for a used vehicle) subject to battery, sourcing, price caps, and income limits. And don’t forget, there is an additional MA rebate ($3,000-$6,000), which is not going away. To compare models and see your cost to drive in Wellesley, check out WattPlan. For more information about qualifying vehicles and claiming the credit, visit https://www.irs.gov/clean-vehicle-tax-credits. • Install solar by December 31 to qualify for the 30% tax credit. Solar projects can take time to plan, finance and permit, so if solar is on your 2025 vision board, now is the time to get a contract in place. Looking for an installer? EnergySage offers valuable educational resources, calculators, and marketplaces to help you learn about and shop for solar with confidence at no cost or obligation to you. And remember, the WMLP offers solar incentives (up to $12,000) too! For more information on the federal tax credit for solar visit https://www.irs.gov/credits- deductions/residential-clean-energy-credit. • Finish your home energy improvement project by December 31! A federal tax credit of up to $2,000 per year (total) applies to qualified heat pumps, water heaters, and more. And there’s another $1,200 available for efficiency upgrades such as insulation, air sealing, and windows. The Wellesley Municipal Light Plant & Mass Save offer additional incentives on many of these projects! Wellesley also has Energy Coaches who can help you navigate the process. Sign up for a home energy assessment today to get started! For more information on the home energy improvement federal tax credit visit here. For comprehensive information on energy efficiency incentives available to Wellesley residents visit: https://wellesleyma.gov/2201/Incentives. For assistance navigating home energy projects visit https://wellesleyma.gov/2086/Energy-Coaching. In benefitting from federal clean energy credits you also help advance progress toward Wellesley’s ambitious climate goals: to reduce townwide greenhouse gas emissions by 50% below a 2007 baseline by 2030, by 75% below the baseline by 2040, and to net zero by 2050. These goals drive implementation of Wellesley’s Climate Action Plan, are reflected in numerous Town projects, and require the participation of our entire community. To learn more about Climate Action in Wellesley and how you can be part of it, visit here or contact [email protected]. This is not tax advice. Be sure to consult a tax professional with questions.  Another big thank you to Zach M., one of our summer interns, for this article
Like many Massachusetts communities, Wellesley is already experiencing the impacts of a warming climate, including extreme heat, drought, flooding, and an increase in the frequency and severity of intense storms. But there’s a quieter threat growing: the increasing cost—and in some places, unavailability—of home insurance. A New York Times analysis shows that insurance non-renewals in neighboring counties like Suffolk, Essex, and Plymouth have surged nearly 28% since 2018. A bit further south on the Cape in Barnstable County, the numbers are even more alarming: 1 in 16 policies were dropped in 2023, a 714% increase. Although Norfolk County (which includes Wellesley) hasn’t seen major insurance non-renewal spikes, our community isn’t immune. At the state level: A few weeks ago, Gov. Maura Healey introduced the Mass Ready Act, authorizing nearly $3 billion in bond authorizations to strengthen infrastructure and protect Massachusetts communities against increasing extreme weather events. Rates of homeownership in Wellesley are high, and climate extremities have, historically, not posed an existential threat. Elsewhere in the state and country, however, insurers are deserting homeowners as climate shocks worsen: just before a fire in the Palisades, State Farm dropped the policies of around 1,600 homeowners, and another 2,000 in neighboring zip codes, according to the non-profit Conservation Law Foundation. A New York Times map of dropped policies shows how “the crisis in the American home insurance market has spread beyond well-known problems in Florida and California. The jump in nonrenewals now extends along the Gulf Coast, through Alabama and Mississippi; up the Atlantic seaboard, through the Carolinas, Virginia and into southern New England” (NYT). Despite looming weather shifts, the likelihood that the average Wellesley resident’s home insurance policy will simply go away is low—nonrenewals in Norfolk county have actually decreased since 2018. However, risks to homeowners across the country are still not insignificant enough to overlook the human-driven costs of shifting weather patterns. Think about trees coming down, macrobursts, etc… Lets learn from places like Florida and California, where climate-driven disasters have led insurers to drop thousands of policies. In Wellesley, proactive adaptation and mitigation still matter. What You Can Do: Since a warming atmosphere—perpetuated by the burning of fossil fuels—has been shown to increase the unpredictability of extreme weather events, let’s take action before climate impacts take away our choices—like affordable insurance. Here are some suggestions: Household:
On The Go:
Learn More:
 With the high temperatures expected tomorrow (Tuesday, July 29th), the Town of Wellesley would appreciate your help in reducing our system peak usage by minimizing the use of your air conditioner(s) and turning off electric vehicle (EV) chargers and other appliances (clothes dryers, dehumidifiers, pool filters), especially between the hours of 5 pm and 8 pm. Turning up your thermostat by just a few degrees will go a long way towards reducing our energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Thank you for your support! Shave the Peak!  Water Conservation Needed - Resident Cooperation Requested The Town of Wellesley Department of Public Works is requesting the cooperation of all residents in voluntarily conserving water during an emergency maintenance period prompted by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). The MWRA has announced that unexpected maintenance work is required on its system. As a precautionary measure, the Wellesley Water Division has been placed on standby to provide potential mutual aid to the neighboring Town of Needham. During this time, Wellesley residents may experience temporary fluctuations in water pressure or brief water discoloration. These changes are not harmful to health or safety. To help maintain adequate water pressure for both communities and to support essential services, residents are asked to take the following voluntary water conservation steps: How you can help – voluntary conservation measures: Indoor:
Your voluntary cooperation is greatly appreciated and helps ensure adequate water pressure for essential services during this maintenance period. They do not anticipate this work to last more than 24-hours, and will provide updates as work progresses, as well as notify residents when normal service is restored. Doing Something For The climate isn’t just about lifestyle Choices, There are financial Options too7/15/2025
 Thank you to Zach M., one of our summer interns, for this article
A changing climate isn’t just about lifestyle, it’s about our financial choices, too. Many people care deeply about the environment, but haven’t yet considered their retirement savings, investments, or bank accounts may be supporting industries that pose the greatest threats to our environment. Sustainable Wellesley encourages residents to expand their climate action in a powerful way: green investment. Climate-friendly investment means choosing funds, stocks, or financial services that will help you invest reliably to support environmental sustainability. What is climate-friendly Investment:
The global financial system plays a huge role in accelerating or slowing climate change; by investing your money in companies that are part of the solution, you choose to impact, not just profit. How to Get Started
  Thank you to Michael M. for sharing his story!
Now that we have had our heat pumps running for 2.5 years, I thought I would share an update for those considering switching to air-source heat pumps in their homes. Here is the initial article I wrote in April 2024 which has more background info. This is a good time to consider it as the Town of Wellesley and the State of MA offer incredible rebates and incentives for things like energy audits, insulation, heat pumps, and EVs — often more than the federal government. I have been tracking our electrical, water, and sewer costs for over 5 years. Having this data enabled me to verify that the investment we made to switch to heat pumps made financial sense. Above you will see two graphs that I hope you will find to be of interest. The first graph shows our Electric costs (Green) and our Oil costs (Orange) from 2021 through 2024. If you compare the total costs of 2022 (electricity + oil) your will get a total of $7,201 ($1,490 in electricity plus $5,711 in oil costs) for the year. If you then look at the cost of only electricity in 2024 (since our oil furnace was removed) you get a total cost of $2,606. The ratio of these two costs is $2,606 / $7,201 you get a ratio of 36%. That means that our 2024 costs were $36% of our 2022 costs, or the 2024 costs were 64% less than the costs in 2022. The second graph shows the same story but using our costs per square foot. You’ll notice in 2022 the cost per square foot for oil + electric was $4.06 ($0.84+$3.22) and the cost in 2024 for all electric was $1.47. That cost ratio is also 36%. Overall, we have had a great outcome from switching to air-source heat pumps. This experience has compelled me to become an “energy coach” in Wellesley to assist other residents considering making a switch from oil or gas to an all-electric solution. One final note, the cost of electricity in Wellesley is ~$0.16/kWh largely due to the presence of our Municipal Light Plant (MLP). Other towns in Massachusetts without an MLP have costs of $0.32/kWh and higher.  With the high temperatures expected tomorrow (Wednesday, July 16th), the Town of Wellesley would appreciate your help in reducing our system peak usage by minimizing the use of your air conditioner(s) and turning off EV chargers and other appliances (clothes dryers, dehumidifiers, pool filters), especially between the hours of 4 pm and 7 pm. Turning up your thermostat by just a few degrees will go a long way towards reducing our energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Thank you for your support! Shave the Peak! Outdoor watering restrictions for Wellesley are no longer in effect as of June 17, 2025.
The Wellesley Board of Public Works (BPW) rescinded the one-day per week watering rules since our area is no longer experiencing Level 1 drought status. During the coming summer months, the state Drought Task Force will continue to review conditions, and the drought status might change especially as temperatures rise. If this happens, notifications will be sent out via the Town of Wellesley website and social media posts. For information about Massachusetts drought conditions, visit the State drought status webpages. Water Conservation Encouraged As part of Wellesley's ongoing water conservation efforts, the DPW Water Division recommends that homeowners continue prudent watering and lawn irrigation. Watering deeply and less frequently helps promote healthy root growth for a more drought tolerant lawn. The Natural Resources Commission offers tips for healthy and sustainable lawn and landscape care. Questions? Contact the Water Division at [email protected] or call 781-235-7600 x3355.  The Town of Wellesley is encouraging residents to try something new.
Explore ways to get around via public transit or bike or walk and you can enter to be part of a $200 raffle. TRY THESE 4 TRANSPORTATION MODES: • . Ride MWRTA Route 1 Bus • . Ride MWRTA Catch Connect • Ride MBTA Commuter Rail • Walk or Bike (where allowed) Wellesley's Trails Ride all 4 and you will be entered in to win the $200 cash grand prize raffle! Log at least 2 trips to be entered into the raffle. Be sure to to take pictures while traveling and log your trips and upload photos in order to win. You can record each trip as you go, or add them all at once. The challenge runs May 1- June 30th. Don't forget... "YOU ARE NOT IN TRAFFIC...YOU ARE TRAFFIC"  Thank you to Green Newton for this image, video and all you do! Are you interested in a safe, affordable and resilient energy system that meets our future needs? Geothermal is just that.
Want to know more? Watch this video to learn about efforts in Newton to explore this exciting clean energy opportunity. Wellesley is also looking into networked geothermal so we though we would share what our neighbors are up to as a starting point. In Newton the innovative, fossil fuel–free geothermal system is being installed at an elementary school and hopefully expanded to nearby homes—and eventually to neighborhoods across Newton. Framingham is already embarking on this, as are many other communities. In the video, you’ll discover:
Ready to take the next step? After watching the video, please reach out if you have interest and background at [email protected]. Thank you to Green Newton for sharing this! |
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