CEBE was  founded on Earth Day in 2013. Spurred on by ever starker realities of the climate crisis and increasing resource depletion, we a launched a successful crowd funding campaign, moved into the Fare Share Commons in historic downtown Norway, Maine and got to work.

 

Since then, CEBE has hosted nearly 200 events, from film screenings in collaboration with the Maine Farmland Trust, Fare Share Co-op, 350.org and others, to educational events in collaboration with the Alan Day Community Garden, Efficiency Maine, The Resilience Hub, Revision Energy and others. Speakers have presented on everything from micro-lending and cooperative housing, to community solar and eco-village design. Workshops have included a two week Permaculture Designers Course, Edible Mushroom Cultivation, Yoga for Gardeners, Seed Saving and Swapping, Educating for Sustainability Pruning a Food Forest and many more. 

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In 2019 CEBE became a founding member of Maine Climate Action NOW! We host a local group of Maine Youth for Climate Justice, and a chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby. In Spring of 2020 we hosted 350.org co-founder Bill Mckibben as the keynote address of a 3 day Climate Action Convergence that attracted over a hundred activists, especially youth, from across the state to downtown Norway.

 

Major annual CEBE events include our September Solar and EV Expo, Indigenous People's Day Permaculture Gathering and partnering with other local organizations on the Foothills Food Festival and Earth  Day Activities in the area.

 

Over the years, hundreds of community members have joined us for events, dropped in to share their voices, or joined us on social media, and volunteered as we create a shared vision of a resilient and sustainable future. It has been an exciting and hopeful journey, but just a beginning as the window on avoiding the worst effects of the climate crisis closes and our action on climate becomes more critical. Please join us on this journey.