By Lois R. Shea, Senior Writer and Communications Officer |
Summer is peak season on Star Island, a 43-acre retreat six miles off New Hampshire’s coast. Fifteen thousand people visit Star, one of Hew Hampshire’s Isles of Shoals, each year. Some stay overnight or attend educational workshops and conferences in the island’s Oceanic Hotel. Some visit island’s museum and marine lab. Some just walk the island’s trails, or come packing paintbrushes and easels.
“Everyone is welcome,” said Pam Smith, the development director for the nonprofit Star Island Corporation, which owns and operates Star.
But running operations off the grid and six miles offshore is complicated, and expensive.
The Star Island Corporation has undertaken a series of sustainability initiatives for everything from drinking water to electricity.
Foundation grants and donors helped support measures in the “Green Gosport Initiative.”
Star now has the largest off-grid solar array in New England, which meets about 60 percent of the island’s power needs during the peak summer months – and has cut annual consumption of diesel fuel for generators by 35 percent.
The island’s combination of sustainability initiatives has led to a reduction in annual diesel consumption of nearly 75 percent since 2012. An island vegetable garden is supplying seriously local produce for guests and staff. Rain water is gathered and filtered – the only such permitted system for drinking water in the state.
And now, said Smith, “we want to share it.”
Eco-island tours are showing off the new measures, and the nonprofit is planning to use the island’s infrastructure to deliver STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) programs to New Hampshire educators, students and nonprofits.
Star Island is also holding a year-long commemoration of its centennial with a rededication next summer. The organization was first founded as a nonprofit in 1915.
TO LEARN MORE, VISIT WWW.STARISLAND.ORG
Making science fun
Jennifer Baney, 2024 Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical recipient, hopes to transform the way young people think about physics. She plans to help students develop the teamwork, critical thinking and problem solving skills needed to excel in science (and life) through sophisticated table-top escape room games.
Partnership provides free job training for people who receive SNAP benefits
The Charitable Foundation is working in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, the Community College System of New Hampshire and the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges to make free job-training available to people who receive SNAP benefits.
Attempts to erode LGBTQ rights undermine the NH community
Our LGBTQ families, friends, neighbors and allies deserve to live in a New Hampshire community where they are safe, where they are respected, where they belong. As the legislature and governor have correctly recognized in the past — and as they should again — that kind of New Hampshire community is better for us all.
Report: Registration is key to encouraging young people to vote
A new report published by The Civics Center in partnership with the Coalition for Open Democracy shows that local voter registration drives can kickstart a commitment to voting – and that when our youngest eligible voters are registered, they do show up to cast their ballots. But New Hampshire has plenty of room to improve when it comes to encouraging young voters to register.
Boosting community vitality
Since 1993, the nonprofit Vital Communities has been bringing people together across sectors to tackle among the most complex challenges facing the region.
Children’s Resiliency Retreat helps young people tap into strength, community, joy
Program at the Boys and Girls Club of the Souhegan Valley helps young people whose lives have been affected by a family member's substance use disorder.
New report highlights model for success in building on-ramps to careers
Collaboration between schools, employers, chambers of commerce and community colleges is key to building hyperlocal career pathways for young people to launch careers in everything from the trades to health care to public safety.
Medical-legal partnership aims to improve health outcomes for families
Dartmouth Health and New Hampshire Legal Assistance have teamed up to support family health by identifying health disparities and addressing legal needs to improve health outcomes.
A snapshot of tax-time charitable giving questions
Three questions that are top of mind for many professional advisors, along with answers that can help you serve your clients as you work through 2023 returns and plan for 2024.
Speaking Our Minds
Nashua public health department offering podcast in multiple languages to help reduce stigma associated with talking about mental health, and to connect people with the resources they need.
Together We Thrive: In Our Community
Nonprofits are improving the quality of life in every corner of New Hampshire
NH Business Review 2024 Charitable Giving Guide now available
New Hampshire Business Review's 2024 Charitable Giving Guide encourages people to support the nonprofits that make the New Hampshire community better for all.
Related Stories
Report: Registration is key to encouraging young people to vote
A new report published by The Civics Center in partnership with the Coalition for Open Democracy shows that local voter registration drives can kickstart a commitment to voting – and that when our youngest eligible voters are registered, they do show up to cast their ballots. But New Hampshire has plenty of room to improve when it comes to encouraging young voters to register.
Boosting community vitality
Since 1993, the nonprofit Vital Communities has been bringing people together across sectors to tackle among the most complex challenges facing the region.
Children’s Resiliency Retreat helps young people tap into strength, community, joy
Program at the Boys and Girls Club of the Souhegan Valley helps young people whose lives have been affected by a family member's substance use disorder.
New report highlights model for success in building on-ramps to careers
Collaboration between schools, employers, chambers of commerce and community colleges is key to building hyperlocal career pathways for young people to launch careers in everything from the trades to health care to public safety.
Medical-legal partnership aims to improve health outcomes for families
Dartmouth Health and New Hampshire Legal Assistance have teamed up to support family health by identifying health disparities and addressing legal needs to improve health outcomes.
Speaking Our Minds
Nashua public health department offering podcast in multiple languages to help reduce stigma associated with talking about mental health, and to connect people with the resources they need.
Together We Thrive: In Our Community
Nonprofits are improving the quality of life in every corner of New Hampshire
Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation announces $250,000 in grants
The Greater Rochester Community Health Foundation made recent grants to 20 nonprofits working to improve the health and well-being of people in Strafford County.
Bringing it Home
The Monadnock Economic Development Corporation is working to increase child care availability in the region through the “Bringing it Home” program, which is supporting in-home child care providers.
Foundation awards more than $2.6 million in community grants
The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation has awarded more than $2.6 million to nonprofit organizations serving the New Hampshire community through its 2023 Community Grants program.
Community arts for all the community
The Capitol Center for the Arts is building relationships and belonging — inside and outside its walls.
An evolution
An integrated response to mental health and substance use disorders is key to promoting health and well-being — and to saving lives. As the science in the field has evolved, so has our work.