Ames looks to go green, hires sustainability coordinator [Video]

AMES, Iowa — The City of Ames is going green. And now it’s one step closer to that dream.

If you take a walk through Ames, you might come across some of the efforts made to be more eco-friendly. Officials have started switching out traditional city vehicles for hybrids and electric cars. Plus, gardens with native plants absorb rainwater to prevent storm water runoff pollution.

This kind of initiative isn’t new, according to the City of Ames’ Public Relations Officer Susan Gwiasda. 

“For over a decade, the Ames City Council has had sustainability as one of its goals,” she said. 

That effort ramped up a few years ago with the city’s Climate Action Plan. Gwiasda said the city made an effort to get input from a variety of sectors from business to education to residents in general …