Lewes project aims to create ‘greenprint’

An ongoing project is encouraging kids and adults to help create a “greenprint” for the City of Lewes using footprints.

“It’s a footprint to a greenprint. A step forward,” said Lewes Planning Commission Environmental Subcommittee Chair Amy Marasco, who came up with the idea.

“The purpose is to have a community-wide process to involve residents, business people and tourists, and seek their input on their vision for the environmental future of Lewes,” she said.

She said her subcommittee will follow the greenprint when crafting its agenda, similar to using blueprints when planning a construction project.

The project launched in July and is already off on the right foot.

“We’re at 500 [footprints] now,” said Marasco. She said her goal had been to reach that many by the end of the year. 

“There is a substantive part of it. It’s not just drawing flowers. This process is giving us topics, such as pesticide application in municipal parks. Probably the No. 1 issue we have is ‘plant more trees.’ Kids want it because they like it in parks; grownups are saying they want it for climate adaptation and shade,” she said.

“[Kids] care about habitat. They want to make sure animals are protected, including insects,” said Marasco.

She said the footprints will be assembled together in at least one quilt or tapestry to be presented to mayor and city council on Earth Day 2024.

“We have a group of quilters, artists and art teachers. It might be one quilt; it might be several, depending on how they want to do the fabric,” said Marasco.

She said there is even interest in having the finished products hang in Legislative Hall in Dover.

Marasco, City Planner Janelle Cornwell and other staff have been making the rounds this summer, handing out materials and collecting completed felt footprints at concerts, the Lewes Night Out, the Historic Lewes Farmers Market’s Kid’s Day and a city council meeting.

All this is driving her subcommittee’s big event: the first Lewes Greenprint Public Input Workshop, set for Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Rollins Center. There will be two sessions held, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

“It will be a very participatory meeting. It will be a round-robin. People get ‘dance cards’ and move around to different stations. It’s noisy. It’s energetic. A lot of feedback happens,” said Marasco.

The environmental subcommittee is also running an arts and letters contest open to all Cape district elementary students, and an art contest for all Cape High and Beacon Middle students. Entries will be displayed at the Sept. 19 public workshop. Winners will be announced between the afternoon and evening sessions.

“It’s a creative way to have their voice be part of the process,” said Marasco.

For more information, contact Cornwell at jcornwell@ci.lewes.de.us.