Beginning in 2005, SHV began defining projects that brought powerful collaborative approaches into wider use, including:

• coauthoring Taking Action for Sustainability: The EarthCat Guide to Community Development, a whole-systems, asset-building framework, and helping to show its potential in the city of Newburgh’s comprehensive plan;
• creating the Northern Dutchess First economic strategy for strengthening local food, education, culture, professional services and other key economic sectors in ten rural towns and villages;
• producing the Green Building Materials and Products Directory for the Sullivan County Partnership for Economic Development;
• convening the first Municipal Climate Action Summit with a standing-room crowd of elected officials, state agency staff, and citizen leaders in 2007, introducing the region to key tools and groups for climate action;
• framing Ulster County’s initial climate change strategy to include green technology and financing strategies
• laying groundwork for Kingston’s Green Line by helping to organize Bike-Friendly Kingston and making the case for a Green Corridor through midtown
• addressing the new challenge of climate change adaptation in the Rising Waters scenario planning project;
• assessing the region’s work force development, education and training systems and framing recommendations for a stronger knowledge economy for seven counties in the Green Talent Pipeline Partnership and Clean Energy Technology Training Consortium with the Department of Labor and SUNY Community College system;
• held 8 conferences exploring aspects of climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience
• creating the training Placemaking in a Changing Climate and delivered it to over 100 planners, policymakers and thought leaders region wide
• organizing the 10% Challenge helping Red Hook town and two villages cut energy use 4% in a year
• helping to convene and support the alliance that created the Mid-Hudson Regional Sustainability Plan