Green Initiative

For the first ‘Green Initiative’ donation related to our Acushnet solar farm, CVE has decided to donate $11,500 to the Buzzards Bay Coalition. This decision was taken thanks to the help and guidance of its advisory board composed of local stakeholders active in the environmental field and knowledgeable of local issues. The Buzzards Bay Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the restoration, protection and sustainable use and enjoyment of the Bay. The Coalition works to protect the land and water in Southeast Massachusetts through education, science advocacy and community engagement, which includes ongoing conservation work in the town Acushnet. CVE has decided to donate $11,500 to complete the last fund needed for a $425,000 expansion of the park. It will provide more parking space to host local school groups looking to learn about biological diversity, preserve 1.5 acres of forested area and create a new community garden.
Find out more about our first donation here.

In 2019, CVE started a community partnership with the Westchester Parks Foundation, a non profit organization based in White Plains, NY whose mission is to engage the public to advocate for the preservation, conservation, use, and enjoyment of the 18,000 acres of parks, trails, and open spaces within the Westchester County Parks system. As part of the “Adopt a Park” program, CVE has committed to conduct regular volunteering activities in our adopted park the Lenoir Preserve to enhance and maintain the area for the enjoyment of local communities. In addition to 120 hours of volunteering, CVE contributes a $5,000 annual donation to help the organization fulfil its mission.

The team conducted several times to plant trees, flowers and shrubs in the meadow, butterfly garden and front landscape, and removing invasive species the Preserve to help save native plants. We also used our engineering skills to build a sugar shack that is used by park goers to collect and transform maple syrup, a practice typical to North America and threatened by climate change.

On Thursday September 9^th, CVE North America had the  honor to receive the Community Award from the Westchester Parks Foundation at the “Parks are Essential” Gala. This award recognizes CVE – among other honorees – for being a civically engaged organization, committed to helping others in the community and particularly for our contribution to Lenoir Preserve, a 40-acre park in Westchester County.

The Community Engineering Corps is an alliance of Engineers Without Borders, the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Water Works Association. It is a nonprofit that provides engineering services to deliver projects in collaboration with community partners in New York.CVE’s operation and maintenance engineer, Victor Zetterberg, has used his engineering skills to help support the organization solar project: The design and construction an off-grid solar plus storage system for the clean electrification of an urban production and educational farm located at Morris Campus High School in Morrisania, NY. The project will serve communities by enhancing access to green space and garden-based education. CVE will provide the solar panels and donate $1,800 to help fund construction of the PV System. You can support the EWB- CEC’s fundraising efforts here.