A2ZERO Week
In June 2020, the City's plan to achieve a just transition to community-wide carbon neutrality, known as
A2ZERO, was unanimously adopted by City Council. Each year, the Office of Sustainability and Innovations organizes A2ZERO Week to commemorate the passing of the plan and to celebrate the work done by the City and our many collaborators in the sustainability space.
The 3rd Annual A2ZERO Week will be held June 4th - 10th, 2023!
A2ZERO Week 2023 At A Glance
Week-Long Activities
A2ZERO Passport. From June 1st - 9th, pick up an A2ZERO passport at any Ann Arbor District Library branch and get ready to engage and have fun at events throughout the week! Complete at least five activities on your passport by noon on June 9th and go to https://forms.office.com/g/ptAK2HTX9Y to enter a drawing for the chance to win great prizes! Four lucky winners will receive a package including: a Cinnaholic gift card, a Zingerman’s brownie stack, a luminary lantern kit, a bamboo spork from BYOC, a one-month bus pass from TheRide, a water bottle from Human Electric Hybrids, an A2ZERO tote bag, a solar key chain, a coupon toward a rental for the City of Ann Arbor liveries, an A2ZERO sustainable screen printed t-shirt, a half-pound bag of coffee from RoosRoast, and either a solar robot kit or a solar racer kit. One grand prize winner will also receive a mobile solar cell phone charger and beeswax wraps from BYOC. No purchase necessary to win. The drawing will be held June 10th at 6:00pm under the Annex at A2 Summer Festival on the Ingall’s mall. Need not be present to win. Printed passports are available at any Ann Arbor District Library Branch or you can download and print the pdf here.
Self-Guided Circular Economy Tour. Get ready to ride! Take the self-guided circular economy tour with TheRide and Destination Ann Arbor. Practice your sustainable tourism skills using complimentary bus passes (subject to limited availability) and see how local businesses are reducing carbon emissions and helping Ann Arbor go green! From June 4th - 10th, stop by Cinnaholic at 121 E. Liberty between 10am and 9pm to pick up your sustainable tourism packet (while supplies last) and get started! Find more details here.
Sunday, June 4th
A2ZERO at the Dexter-Ann Arbor Run. Get Ready to Run! A2ZERO is a sponsor of the 49th Dexter-Ann Arbor Run, Michigan's scenic Huron River course. Register as a runner at dxa2.com for the half marathon, 10K or 5K run. Or join the volunteer team using innovative strategies to ensure this event is zero waste. Go to dxa2.com and click on the volunteer button at the top of the home page.
Monday, June 5th
SPARK Lunch & Learn. Local businesses are invited to join us for an A2ZERO Lunch & Learn, hosted at SPARK’s Central Innovation Center (330 E Liberty). Registration is open to any local business. Interested businesses can RSVP here (and lunch is provided): https://annarborusa.org/event/a2zero-lunch-learn/.
Eezy Treezy and Cocktail Classes. The "Eezy Treezy" is back for A2ZERO Week! Support tree planting efforts through the 10,000 Trees Initiative with each purchase of this special edition drink, made with locally sourced cucumber-infused gin, blackberries, mint, and lime. Plus, you can channel your inner mixologist with local, sustainable ingredients at the Ann Arbor Distilling Company's A2ZERO Week Cocktail Classes on Monday, June 5th. Register for the 5:00pm or 7:30pm class; registration required.
Beyond Zero Film Screening. Join us at the State Theater at 6:30pm for a screening of the film Beyond Zero from HaveyPro Cinema, followed by a panel discussion at 8:00pm. Film description: "After a life-changing epiphany, the CEO of a global public company embarks on a high-stakes quest to eliminate all negative environmental impacts by 2020. To succeed, they must overcome deep skepticism, abandon the status quo, and ignite a new industrial revolution. Beyond Zero offers an inspirational roadmap for how business can reverse climate change." You can watch the trailer for the film here: https://vimeo.com/654262821. This event is free, but registration is required: https://beyondzero.eventbrite.com.
Tuesday, June 6th
Richmond Water Heaters Innovation Trailer. Learn about new and innovative technology for heat pump water heaters with the team from Richmond! Stop by the Richmond Water Heaters Innovation Trailer between 9:00am and 2:00pm at the Ann Arbor Menard's (6405 Jackson Rd) and their local experts will be happy to answer your questions and help you determine if a heat pump water heater is the right choice for your home. richmondwaterheaters.com
Love A Park Day. Give365 and A2ZERO invite you to learn about pollinator habitat and care for your local community park. Meet at Esch Park, 2780 Page Ave, and get ready to dig, plant, and have fun! 10:00am-12:00pm. Registration required; register here.
Wednesday, June 7th
City Staff Wellness Challenge Reminder. City staff participating in the Wellness Challenge with VegMichigan are reminded to pick up their packets today, per their registration confirmation.
Climate Board Game Night at Bløm. Join us at Bløm Meadworks from 5:00-10:00pm for their weekly Board Game Night - this time featuring climate and environment-related board games! No need to be an expert - we’ve got games for all levels and interests, from a few minutes of quick wit to several hours of strategy. Come with friends or by yourself - there are always groups to join!
Thursday, June 8th
Love A Park Day. Give365 and A2ZERO invite you to learn about pollinator habitat and care for your local community park. Meet at Northside Park, 809 Taylor St, and get ready to dig, plant, and have fun! Plus, get your A2ZERO passport stamped. 4:00-6:00pm. Registration required; register here.
Get to Know Your Wild Neighbors. Join the wildlife specialists at the Humane Society of Huron Valley from 5:00-6:30pm at 3100 Cherry Hill Road in Ann Arbor. Learn ways to live in harmony with the wild animals in proximity to you while gaining an appreciation for the many roles they play in our complex ecosystems! HSHV.org.
REPAIRsday. Learn how to fix your gadgets! Meet up at All Hands Active for REPAIRsday from 5:30-9:00pm at 255 E. Liberty St., Suite 225 during extended hours for A2ZERO week! Bring in something small that's in need of repair for assessment by the team - and get your A2ZERO passport stamped. https://www.meetup.com/allhandsactive/events/293541711/.
Trivia Night with CCL. Are you a trivia champ? Then head on over to Conor O'Neill's on Main Street and strut your stuff! For A2ZERO Week, Citizens' Climate Lobby joins the Conor O'Neill's team to bring you challenging questions about the natural world and climate adaptations. 7:30-9:00pm, 318 S. Main St.
A2ZERO Music Stage. Join us downtown on Main Street Ann Arbor at the A2ZERO Music Stage and enjoy Brennen Andes & Friends from 7:00-9:00pm. Dance, sing, and tap along to the tunes!
Friday, June 9th
Bryant Community Center Resilience Hub Open House. Stop by and take a tour of the new resilience hub, a partnership of A2ZERO and the Community Action Network! 5:00-8:00pm, 3 Eden Court.
Saturday, June 10th
Project Grow Mulit-Site Tour. Join us for a tour of Project Grow sites from 9:00-11:00am. Participants will drive to each site in the day's tour to learn about the history of the organization and key facts about that specific site's gardens and gardeners, and get a chance to meet site coordinators and gardeners. This tour includes four locations: Food Gatherers, Clague Middle School, Chapel Hill Condo Association, and Matthaei Botanical Gardens Project Grow site. Contact [email protected] with questions. Advance registration is required for this free event: https://forms.gle/GcPCJu82LuxbF8Gi6.
YMCA Block Party. Join us downtown for a block party from 12:00-4:00pm at 400 W. Washington. Visit with VegMichigan, the UM Solar Car Team, the City of Ann Arbor's EMS and A2ZERO Teams, Human Electric Hybrids, and much, much more. Learn fun ways to embrace a sustainable lifestyle! annarborymca.org.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival. Join the OSI Team at a special A2ZERO Week Summer Festival event! The Annex will feature fun and accessible ways to bring renewable solar energy into your life to reduce your carbon footprint while increasing your energy resiliency! Check out a sample of solar coffee from Mornings with Ella, see the latest in e-bike tech with Human Electric Hybrids, chart the solar capacity of your roof, get a robot-drawn portrait with All Hands Active, and bring a shirt to make your wearable sustainable screen print! 5:00-8:00pm. A2SF.org.
Ann Arbor Summer Festival Kid's Zone. Learn about bioluminescence in the natural world, with interactive demonstrations by the team at the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History! Take home a pollinator seed bomb for your garden and have fun at the Scrap Creative station! 5:00-8:00pm. A2SF.org.
Get Involved
Volunteer During A2ZERO Week
Looking for a volunteer opportunity? There are plenty of ways for you to help out during A2ZERO Week! From sorting waste to hosting a mixology class, and from making seed bombs to hosting trivia, there's something for everyone! Learn more and register as a volunteer here.
Take the A2ZERO Pledge
Do you want to be part of the community working to achieve a more just, sustainable, healthy, safe, and comfortable future for all? Then join us by taking the
A2ZERO Pledge and committing to one or more sustainability-focused actions. And if you need help achieving your commitment to any of these actions, staff from the Office of Sustainability and Innovations are happy to help! You can reach us at
[email protected] or reach out to a specific
team member.
Reduce, Reuse, Return
Want to help reduce the amount of waste entering our landfills, while enjoying delicious takeout from a local restaurant? Check out the Ann Arbor Reduce, Reuse, Return (A2R3) Returnable Container Program! This program is a collaboration between OSI, Live Zero Waste, and local restaurants Zingerman's Next Door Cafe, El Harissa Market Cafe, Cinnaholic Bakery, and Ginger Deli. Simply join the program, receive your takeout meal in a reusable container, enjoy your food, wash the container, and then return it to a participating restaurant!
Become an Ambassador
The
A2ZERO Ambassador Program provides an opportunity for interested individuals to take a deep dive into pathways for advancing local sustainability, resilience, and carbon neutrality. A2ZERO Ambassadors take part in a training program that explores multiple aspects of what it takes to truly become a sustainable and carbon neutral community. Ambassadors will leave this training with the knowledge, tools, and resources to discuss climate change and the specific actions that their community can begin implementing to advance carbon neutrality. You can register your interest in becoming an Ambassador by emailing
Bryce Frohlich.
Get Sustainability Updates
Stay up to date and get more involved by signing up for
The Charging Station, our
monthly A2ZERO Newsletter! Sign up here.
