Goal 1: Educate the York, ME community on invasive vs native plants and green gardening practices. 

  • Provide monthly, subscription-based pamphlets with factual information regarding invasive/native plant species and sustainable gardening practices to at least 5% of York’s population. This will not only lead to more knowledge among the community but the number of native plants will increase and invasive plants will decrease. Achieve a 30% increase in awareness and knowledge by the end of the first year (End of 2022-2023) within the community. 
  • Track the number of purchases for eco-friendly gardening products in the area through surveys that are published ⅓ and ⅔ of the way through the year. Have a survey on our website (Yorkreadyforclimateaction.org) and in the pamphlets that ask how much information individuals have retained from the pamphlets and what exactly they have learned.  
  • Keep a datasheet of houses that have joined the initiative and those that go to the website for more information with an achievable objective of 50% increase in both areas. 

Goal 2: Improve York’s access to eco-friendly tools, gifts, and products. 

  • Provide monthly gifts to registered Grow Native members that include native seed packs, fertilizer/compost bags, and other sustainable products (beginning at the end of 2022-2023). We will keep a constant log of Grow Native members and the number of gifts YRFCA gives out each month from the end of 2022 to the end of 2023, with a target goal of at least 5 new members each month.
  • Showcase sustainable products during Grow Native events and survey individuals’ reliance on said products. 
  • Increase the percentage of individuals with gardens in the York area from 2022- 2023. Increase the population of overall native species in the York area by 5%. Decrease the population of overall invasive/non-native plant species in the York area by 5%.

Goal 3: Unite the York Community and increase reliance on local businesses

  • Host YRFCA events to raise awareness and participation in the Grow Native initiative. Our target is to have 15% of our community attend events. Volunteers will track the number of new members to YRFCA since launching the Grow Native Initiative. 
  • Survey York’s carbon emissions during the Grow Native Initiative and analyze increasing or decreasing trends (End of 2022-2023). This data will be available to community boards/members to foster environmental change. 
  • Increase local business sales by 10% during non-tourist seasons (particularly winter months) and work with community partners to create shopping incentives for businesses in the future.