In this fall issue, we're sharing many ways to wrap up the year in a sustainable way! Everything from “Leave Your Leaves” to greener holiday ideas, you’ll find tips and inspiration to keep your environmental impact low. We’re also highlighting recent successes, ongoing initiatives, and exciting events coming soon — including Repair Café and the Ripple Awards.

Below are the icons for each of the five focus areas of the Climate Action Plan. When you see these icons in the newsletter, you can click on them. They will take you to a page that explains a specific action or to the introduction of that focus area.

Elizabeth is a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, studying Environmental Studies and Public Policy with a minor in Statistics. Outside of class, she works at the UNC Climbing Gym, is a member of RESPC, UNC’s renewable energy committee, and Build UP, UNC’s urban planning club. Elizabeth is passionate about resource conservation and climate change mitigation efforts. After graduation, she hopes to pursue graduate studies to further her education in environmental policy.

Working with Orange County Sustainability this semester, she has contributed to the development of Orange County’s EV Playbook, assembled water and energy conservation kits to serve as community resources, and explored ways to bring the Orange County Climate Action Plan to life.

Hi! I’m Annie, a senior at UNC Chapel Hill, majoring in Environmental Studies with minors in GIS and Urban Planning. I am passionate about creating more sustainable communities through resilient infrastructure and alternative modes of transportation. I am thrilled to be continuing my work with Orange County for a second semester. This fall, I have been creating a Sustainability 101 training module for all County employees. The training focuses on what sustainable progress the County has made and what individual actions employees can take to achieve the goals outlined in the Climate Action Plan!

Sofia is a 3rd year undergraduate student at UNC Chapel Hill double majoring in Political Science and Environmental Studies. This fall, Sofia collaborated with the Heat Action Cohort to update the Heat Action Plan for Orange County, which outlines and coordinates Orange County’s approach to preparing for and responding to extreme heat. She also supported the development of the County’s Heat Task Force to gather community input and led educational and outreach efforts.

Orange County is creating a Sustainability 101 training module for all County employees. The goal of Sustainability 101 is to teach County staff about the sustainable progress Orange County is making and to provide actions employees can take at the office and at home to reduce emissions and be more sustainable.

The training will connect the goals outlined in the Climate Action Plan with strategies and actions the County has taken to achieve those goals. The module will go one step further by issuing a call to action for County employees to implement sustainable actions in their everyday lives.

This training module is another step that Orange County is taking to becoming a greener Orange!

Orange County Sustainability is launching a new initiative to make resource conservation more accessible to the community! Beginning soon, water and energy conservation kits will be available for checkout at the Main Library in Hillsborough and the Southern Branch Library in Carrboro.

Each kit will include practical items such as shower timers, low-flow shower heads, weather stripping, LED lights, and more—all aimed at helping households identify ways to save energy and water. These simple yet effective tools can help residents take small steps that, over time, add up to large savings.

This program is part of Orange County’s broader effort to promote sustainability and climate action at the local level. By offering these kits as a free, accessible resource, the County hopes to empower community members to make their homes more efficient, reduce utility bills, and contribute to shared goals of conservation and environmental stewardship.

Extreme heat is the number one weather-related cause of death in the U.S. and it kills more people in most years than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined. Recent rising summer temperatures, along with lack of awareness about heat risk, make education about extreme heat more urgent than ever before.

Last spring, Orange County worked with the Towns of Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and Carrboro to draft a Heat Action Plan and launch the Beat The Heat Campaign. As the heat season came to a close this fall, Orange County and the municipalities held three community meetings, sent out a heat impacts survey, and  formed a Heat Task Force to gather community input and help refine the Heat Action Plan.

The Heat Action Plan will be approved this winter, while Orange County and the municipalities work together to create and distribute more public education materials. Stay tuned for more heat information late next spring! And, if you want to take action, get five friends to sign up for OC Alerts  and follow OCNCGov on Facebook.   

Orange County celebrated National Drive Electric Month with two events where residents could explore electric vehicles (EVs) up close.

On September 20, 2025, the Orange County Sportsplex in Hillsborough was the place to be for anyone curious about electric vehicles (EVs). Eight local drivers, including members of the Triad Electric Vehicle Association, showcased their cars alongside Orange County’s electric bus. Visitors explored a variety of EVs, spoke with their owners, and even enjoyed Tesla’s music and light shows. Vehicles on display included the Kia Niro Electric, Tesla Model Y, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and more.

A second event on October 4, 2025, at Carrboro’s Century Center, featured both personal and municipal EVs, including a Town of Chapel Hill Ford Mach-E police car and a Town of Carrboro Ford F150 lightning. Co-hosted by Orange County, and the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, the event gave residents a chance to ask questions, see new models, and learn how EVs are helping reduce emissions and make local transportation more sustainable.

Pledge to waste less! One way is to reduce your single use items! Click on the image to get some ideas.

Have a question or comment about one of our sustainability programs? Want to volunteer? 

Contact us at sustainability@orangecountync.gov

or 919-245-2626