Green Living Expo 2009`

A Resource Guide produced by

The Wakulla News

Riversprings Middle School • Saturday, March 21 • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair3Rd ANNUAL

BRoUght to yoU By

InsIde • Workshop Schedule

• Event Site Map • Informational Articles and More Photos By Lynda Kinsey

G – The Wakulla News Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair Thursday, March 19, 2009

Dear Readers,We hope that you take the time to visit

Riversprings Middle School on Saturday, March 21 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Third Annual Green Living Energy Expo and Edu-cation Fair will give residents of the entire region ideas on how to be a smart consumer and save money while also helping Mother Earth.

We have included a great deal of in-formation about vendors, activities, food, workshops and more. We have also included some photographs from the 2008 event to

give new visitors an opportunity to see what it was like last year.

Hopefully, you will find our special sec-tion helpful in guiding you around the Riversprings property.

I attended the other expo events at Riv-ersprings Middle School and found them to be both interesting and helpful.

Enjoy your day, our spring weather and the opportunity to meet new and old friends while discuissing the subject of Green Liv-ing.

Editor Keith Blackmar

Enjoy the 2009 Green Living Energy Expo, Education Fair

Were you going green when going green wasn’t cool?

Some of us have been living green to some extent before going green was “in.” Maybe you’ve reused recycled aluminum cans, glass and plastic bottles. I remember growing up in South Georgia returning Coca-Cola bottles for a nickel each at Mrs. Parramore’s “curb store” on the corner of our street and picking up aluminum cans and turning them in for cash. We made elaborate cars and houses for my Barbie dolls out of shoe boxes with scissors, glue, paint, and crayons. It seems that times were simpler back then.

The Third Annual Sustainable Big Bend Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair this weekend will illustrate through a wide variety of educational workshops and demon-strations, how to get back to simpler living. How to get back to reducing, reusing, and

recycling all the “stuff” that moves through our homes and lives; how to get back to sav-ing money, saving time, saving energy, saving water, and saving the planet; and how to teach children to be innovative and creative with household items for their toys and projects that they put together themselves.

Going green can be cool. Shopping in second-hand stores is “chic” or “funky” now. Reusable shopping bags are attractive, color-ful, even personalized, and they don’t leave red painful creases in your fingers when you carry the groceries into the house. Lunch bags of recycled plastic bottles are made by women working to become independent in villages of Africa. Laundry and dishwashing detergent is phosphate-free and environmentally and sep-tic tank friendly. Even clothing is organic.

Go ahead and be cool in Wakulla County. Go green by saving gas and support our area business owners and growers by shopping locally. Go green by shopping in second hand stores to reduce and re-use. We live in the sunshine state. Go green by using the sun to your advantage. If solar panels are not an option right now, invest in solar outside lighting and reduce your utility bill. Buy re-chargeable batteries. Go green by refilling a stainless or other non-leaching drinking water bottle every day.

The Sustainable Big Bend board and the Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair committee have worked tirelessly to bring together a fun, educational and entertaining event for the entire family! Attend the Expo Saturday to find out more ways to go green and be cool. Use this special section as a guide to enhance and organize your Expo experi-ence. You won’t go away empty-minded.

Tammie Barfield is General Manager of The Wakulla News

Tammie Barfield

Landscape Design & Installation

926–8335

Welcome Home

Thanks to our Sponsors

Thursday, March 19, 2009 Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair The Wakulla News – G

Don’t let the national economy get you down

By HEIDI HOLCOMBPresident of SBB

After a long, rather chilly, North Florida winter, spring is finally upon us. It is time once again to turn our faces into the sun and let our senses tease out the subtle fragrance of our own native wild plum, crab apple and dogwood and catch glances of the yellow Jessamine lurking in high places. The coming of spring evokes thoughts of rebirth and renewal and a chance to begin anew. After a tough year of political polariza-tion and economic woe, we could use a bit of renewal, a chance to make a fresh go of it. This is the message we hope to bring to the regional community at

the Third annual Green Living Expo & Education Fair.

This year we hope to bring some relief to individuals and families try-ing to work within a tight budget and a desire to bring simplicity back into their lives. We will have speakers talk-ing in workshops about how to plant your own herb and vegetable gardens and how to create the compost to feed those gardens instead of using expen-sive chemicals. We will have others talking about how to save energy and your health by eating “raw” foods that take little preparation. In addition, we will discuss how to preserve what is in season so that you can purchase food in quantity when it is more economical and fill your pantry. If nothing but the freshest food will do for you then you can come by the Expo Farmer’s Market tent and check out produce, meat and dairy products from local area farms and taste the difference of food that has not had to travel far. Several farmers and growers will be there with samples to taste and products to sell.

Don’t let the national economic fore-cast bring you down, take matters into

your own hands. Help to build your lo-cal economy by buying from local small businesses. Attend our workshop en-titled, “Shop Close to Home” and learn the impact of keeping those dollars in your community. Tough economic times can be a driver for behavior change so for those ready to take action, we offer workshops on retrofitting your home for energy efficiency and solar electricity, how to create your own green kitchen cleaners, repair your own bicycle and even a primer on how to make biofuel for your car.

This year make sure to bring a little “mad” money, although entrance and workshop participation are free, you may want to enter a raffle to win a rain barrel or compost bin. For those who like a little something with their fair trade coffee, Scratch Cakes Bakery will be offering some sweet things to eat. If you prefer something more substantial you may be tempted by a dish from UPCuisine or Tastebudz. For those who prefer vegetarian, Soul Veg will be of-fering something flavorful from their amazing menu. There are tables in the auditorium for dining but you may

want to bring a blanket and sprawl out on the grass and listen to some of the performers. Entertainment will feature music by Grant Peeples, Kurtis Weekly on didgeridoo or drums by Yazid among others.

Finally, don’t forget to bring the whole family because there is something for everyone this year. At 11a.m., kids can bring their bikes and participate in a bicycle rodeo. We also have expanded our children’s activities and will have several opportunities for children to make things to take home throughout the day. Stop by the children’s area and listen to a story or make a clay toad house or some natural Easter egg dye. Make a garden when you get home with your plantable stationary or make crafts with a local artist.

The Expo Planning committee has at-tempted to create an exciting fun-filled event free for the whole family to enjoy and to live a simpler more sustainable life. To learn more about the expo visit our web site at www.greenlivingener-gyexpo.com or e-mail Heidi Holcomb at [email protected] or call 926-7643.

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By MARJ LAW Keep Wakulla County Beautiful, Inc.

The “Green Expo” is coming up on Satur-day, March 21. Keep Wakulla County Beautiful will have a booth there again, as it has for the past two years. The Expo ties in with Keep America Beautiful’s annual Great American Cleanup where volunteers pick up the litter from our roads and public places. Green is a focus of both programs. Popular from the start, the Expo brings in visitors from Wakulla County and from surrounding counties, too.

There seems to be some confusion, though.

Last year, while walking around the Expo. I found vendors to be particularly interesting, and learned a whole lot about new products that are safer for our environment than old stand-bys. As I meandered around, one wom-an was muttering and caught my eye.

“Yeah, well, everything’s green these days.

But what does that really mean? Where is green? What is it? Can I get me some of that green?”

She was partly being funny. But I think she really wanted to know.

Yes, we hear the word green a lot, and it’s a good thing to get a handle on it for ourselves and for our children. I made up a little song to teach children (and big people, too) what we mean when we talk about green. This is how it goes:

Green is in the plants that grow.Green is in the sea.Green is in the air we breathe, but most

importantly…Green is in the life we lead, butLet us be quite clearThat green, green, green, starts right

here.It starts in the morning when we brush

our teeth.Recently, I talked to several classes of

students at Medart Elementary School. We pretended to brush our teeth for two minutes while letting the water run in the sink. We left the stopper in to see how much would collect, and all five classes agreed it appeared to be about two gallons of water.

Since students at Medart are pretty smart with their math, they began to multiply the 22 students by two gallons of water, which

equals 44 gallons. And, since they all brush twice each day, that means they would let 88 gallons of clean drinking water go right down that drain. Then they started counting weekly, monthly and yearly.

Green simply means that, for every single one of us, from the moment we wake up, the choices we make—even the small and seemingly unimportant ones—impact our environment.

Come to the Keep Wakulla County Beauti-ful booth at the Expo. Join the Great Ameri-

can Cleanup by agreeing to pick up all the trash around your home and along the road in front of your home. The first 200 people who volunteer to participate in this program, or in the National Forest Cleanup, or in the Adopt-a-Road program will receive a “mood” cup. The cup changes color with changes in temperature of the contents.

Of course, you’ll really be signing up be-cause you want to protect our environment. It’s a green thing to do. It’s because you know that green starts here.


Tour of green homes and gardens in Wakulla CountyThe Green Home and Garden Tour is

scheduled for April 18 in Wakulla County. This will be the third year in which Wakulla homeowners have generously opened their homes and welcomed the community in to learn about the ‘Green’ features they have incorporated into the household. Not only is this an opportunity for homeowners to share their experiences, the good, the bad and the ugly, but it is an opportunity for developers and building professionals to showcase their green products and technologies. In addition, attendees

are educated about the variety of local products and resources available.

This year’s tour will provide participants the opportunity to see energy efficient construction techniques, water-wise landscape practices and practical low or no-cost activities that can be adopted in our homes to conserve energy, reduce our utility costs, and leave a healthy planet for those who follow. Attendees will be able to speak candidly with homeowners about what worked for them and what didn’t. Through networking, sharing

experiences, resources and education, participants will feel more equipped to handle the choices that lie ahead.

Once seen as fringe, extreme or eccentric, environment-friendly has become more mainstream. With this recognition come challenges that must be negotiated. All of a sudden there are hundreds of “green” products. Residents want to do the right thing, take care of their children’s health, care for the planet, ensure that the needs of the present will not compromise the ability of future generations to meet

their needs. These two opportunities, the Expo/Fair and Home Tour, can help anyone through the swamp.

Tour participants will meet in the parking lot of the TCC Crawfordville campus and be transported by bus or in a car caravan to the homes on the Tour. Cost is $5 per car to defray costs of printing and gasoline. For further information, the Green Tour display will be in Expo Central on March 21 or you can contact Kathryn Gibson at 926-9519.

Get some of that green with KWCB at Green Expo

Marj Law

Keep Wakulla County

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What we recycle:Paper

NewspaperCardboard

Paper Board (Cereal & Cracker Boxes)

ContainersPlastic Milk Jugs

Glass JarsAluminum and Metal Cans

Soda/Beer CansGlass BottlesPlastic Bottles

Other:BatteriesOld metal

Do:Make sure you rinse out bottles and

containers; you can leave on labels and the caps.

Do: break down your cardboard boxes.

Don’ts:Don’t put contaminated paper in

your recycling. Soiled or coated fibers, such as pizza boxes, napkins, or frozen food boxes are not recyclable.

Although many materials are recy-clable, Wakulla County cannot recycle them because there are no markets for the products at this time.

Here are some common examples of materials that cannot be recycled in Wakulla County:

Plastic containers - such as butter tubs or pill bottles (the rule of thumb on plastic is that you can only recycle it if it has a neck and screw on top).

Plastic Bags - Wakulla County does not accept plastic bags; however some retailers such as Publix or Wal-Mart will accept and recycle plastic bags.

Styrofoam - Wakulla County has no way to recycle Styrofoam at this time; however, Publix will accept and recycle Styrofoam egg trays.

Food Boxes - Coated papers, such as frozen food boxes, are not recy-clable.

Corningware or Ceramics – Wakulla County is only able to recycle clear, green and brown glass.

For more information, call the land-fill at 926-7010.

Wakulla County Recycling Program: What can and cannot be recycled

Marj Law of KWCB displays bins and ways to recycle.

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Reusable Diapers- Being Green while saving GreenDisposable diapers are the third largest

single consumer item in landfills. Despite this, when it comes to raising a “green” family, even eco-conscious parents overlook cloth diapers as a feasible option for their babies with attitudes based on outdated information and experiences. There’s a good chance that if you were to see cloth diapers today, you would not recognize them. Over the past 10 years, cloth diapers have evolved so that there are no pins, no dunking, no

plastic pants, and are just as convenient as disposables. With their innovation and newfound ease of use, many more ordinary parents are now opting for using cloth on their babies bringing them mainstream.

Especially during these tough economic times, families are looking for ways to save and cloth diapers are a worthy investment of immense savings. For 2 1/2 years of using disposables, families spend around $2,500. Whereas using cloth diapers can range from

$350 to $1,000 with savings continuing on through subsequent children. What’s more, cloth diapers are healthier and more comfortable against baby’s bottom with materials like fleece lining keeping baby’s skin dry.

Finally, cloth diapers are now made with many different fibers like hemp, bamboo,

organic cotton fleece, and wools. They come in styles called fitteds, all-in-ones, and one-size. There’s now a local resource to help you learn more, get started, and transition to cloth diapers: Ecological Babies. You can visit Ecological Babies on the web at:www.ecologicalbabies.com.

Visitors to the 2008 event view booths set up in the RMS gymnasium.

Recycle your used flower pots at the Green Living Expo

It’s spring and we’re all gearing up to com-mune with Mother Nature and beautify the planet we live on. Planting trees is a great idea, but did you know that the pots that the plants come in contribute a large proportion of waste in our landfills?

Bulky and slow to decompose it can take decades for them to rot. “We’d like to help,” said Brandy Cowley-Gilbert of Just Fruits and Exotics.

Just Fruits is a grower based nursery. “We produce most of the plants we sell and use a lot of pots doing it. We encourage you to close the loop and recycle your pots together with us. Take some time, clean out your ga-

rage and bring them with you to the Green Living Expo. We’ll have a trailer set up to put them in and will be giving out raffle tickets based on the amount of pots you bring in. The grand prize will be a 15 gallon Weeping Mulberry. We ask that you do bring pots that are usable, not broken and larger than six inches in size. Trays are fine. If you can’t make it to the Expo you can always bring them to the nursery to trade in for credit on plants.”

Just Fruits and Exotics Nursery is located at 30 St. Francis St. in Medart. Call 926-5644, e-mail [email protected] or visit: www.justfruitsandexotics.com.

Check out the entertainment at the Expo:

10:00 Bluegrass1:00 Grant Peeples2:00 Didjeridoo3:00 African Drumming

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Green Living Expo, Education FairThere are four categories of work-

shops running throughout the day: Do It Yourself; Food for the Sustainable Family; In and Around the Home; and Savings on Transportation.

Do It Yourself Workshops

• 10 to 11:30 a.m. Rainwater Harvest-ing: Learn the history of collecting

rainwater and ways to save water in your home and landscape. Build your own rain barrel with instruction and materi-als provided. Cost of $35 for materials is payable at registration desk. Materials are available for only 20 rain barrels, but anyone may listen and watch. Presenter: Carrie Stevenson is a Florida Yards and Neighborhood Program Agent, UF/IFAS Escambia County.

• 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Plant a Living Fence: Families will plant a living fence on the school grounds. Noted landscape designer David Copps has selected a variety of native trees and shrubs to provide habitat for wildlife while also creating a physical barrier to school bus-es. Participants will arrange and space plants, dig holes, and plant, water, and mulch young trees and shrubs. Learn how to design a wildlife-friendly living fence and to plant and care for native trees and shrubs in your yard. Present-ers: David Copps, Landscape Designer; Bill Petty and George Weaver, Wakulla County Master Gardeners; Kawika Bai-ley, County Forester, Florida Division of Forestry; and Garth Smelser, Deputy District Ranger and Conservation Educa-tion Coordinator, Apalachicola National Forest, USFS

Food for the Sustainable Family

• 10 to 10:45 a.m. Shopping Close to Home: In a National Geographic article (October 2007) the author cites a study that reports

“…the average bite of food has trav-eled nearly 1,500 miles before it reaches our table.” Another source states, the average American meal contains ingre-dients from at least five other counties. Knowing your “food mileage” can help you make wise consumer choices by taking into account more than just the price tag. Learn the benefits of shopping close to home. Presenter: Scott Jackson, Director of UF/IFAS Wakulla County Extension Office

• 11 to 11:45 p.m. Composting with a Sense of Humus: Learn specifics of com-posting household wastes and recycling them for use in the garden to put nutri-ents back into homegrown vegetables; discover how simple composting is, how little space is required, and how beneficial it is to eliminate this material from the streams and landfills; see the

products and tools that are necessary. Presenter: Ed Oaksford, Water Resources Division of U.S. Geological Survey retiree who now spends time making changes to his house and lifestyle to reduce his family’s carbon footprint.

• 12 to 12:45 p.m. Soft Cheese/Yogurt Making: Learn how to make yogurt and soft cheeses such as Mozzarella and Ricotta. Procedures and recipes will be available. Presenter: Sara Reece has lived in the Big Bend for 12 years and has an interest in Slow Food principles that link the pleasure of food with the commitment to community and the environment.

• 1 to 1:45 p.m. Raw and Living Foods for Health and Vitality: Learn about vital health, glowing skin, having an abundance of energy, ageless beauty and other benefits of a raw food diet. Participants will explore the basics of eating a healthy raw food diet includ-ing what to include, how to prepare different raw foods, how to incorporate more raw food into a busy lifestyle, and the ability of one’s diet to heal and pre-vent disease. Presenter: Jill Welch is a licensed midwife and whole foods chef, owner of The Kitchen Goddess, cooking teacher and private consultant.

• 2 to 2:45 p.m. Containerized Herb Gardens: The workshop will offer an overview of growing herbs with specific reference to container and growing tech-niques when space is limited. Presenter: Trevor Hylton, Extension Agent in Leon and Wakulla Counties, formerly with Florida A & M University’s Cooperative Extension Department. He has grown containerized herbs for the last four years.

• 3 to 3:45 p.m. Preserving the Har-vest: Gardens overflowing with shiny red tomatoes, and bright green pep-pers… orchards filled with sweet, juicy peaches…farmers markets piled high with fresh produce…seafood markets brimming with today’s fresh catch…all so easy to preserve. Preserving food, if done correctly, can help you store good quality food for later use. Latest research-based techniques will be re-viewed so you can choose to can, freeze, pickle, or dry the harvest. Presenters: JoAnn Palmer, a long-time resident of North Florida who as been preserving the harvest for 38 years, and Shelley

Swenson, the UF/IFAS Wakulla County Family and Consumer Sciences/EFNEP Agent likes to preserve through the drying process.

In and Around the Home• 10 to 10:45 a.m. Landscaping with

Native Wildflowers: Learn pertinent information for establishing sustain-able plantings of native wildflowers in landscape beds, mini-meadow, and meadows, and the relative importance of plant origin as it relates to landscape use of native wildflowers and native plants in general. Presenter: Jeff Norcini, Associate Professor of Environmental Horticulture with the University of Flori-da/IFAS, and a consultant in sustainable landscape plantings, etc. Since 1996, his research and extension works has focused on seed production, container production, and establishment of Flori-da ecotypes of native wildflowers.

• 11 to 11:45 p.m. Growing a Stronger Community through Gardening: the Damayan Garden Project.

Learn how three types of gardens: family, schoolyards, and community can connect the community. Small organic gardens make it easier for your com-munity to get together and eat more seasonal and local foods. Come and learn how to start one of your own us-ing organic practices and products. Ev-eryone will leave with their own spring veggie start sown in a growing medium mixed on site! Presenter: Season George is Garden Manager for Damayan Garden Project. This project is a local, not for profit whose members install commu-nity gardens and maintains the Lichgate Gardens in Tallahassee.

• 12 to 12:45 p.m. Retrofitting your Home for Energy Efficiency: Learn how much electricity is used by different aspects of your home and how you can reduce that usage. See how one person has cut energy consumption by more than half through taking sustainable steps, one at a time, to save carbon emissions while reducing util-ity bills. Presenters: Carl Spangler, a retired IBM field engineer who volunteered at N. C. Maritime Museum in the Environmental Studies program on an off-grid facility on a barrier island, and Elinor Elfner, a retired educational administrator and now a climate change volunteer. Both are active in Big Bend Climate Action Team.

Continued on Page 8G


Workshops are offered throughout the Expo

Recycle Used Flower

Pots at the Expo

Just Fruits and Exoticswww.justfruitsandexotics.com

*STOP filling up the land fills with USED FLOWER

POTS. Recycle them.

*Bring them to the EXPO and trade them in for

tickets to win a 15 gallon WEEPING MULBERRY

12 miles past Capital Circle on Centerville Rd. • 893-1647Open M-F 8am-6pm Sat. 8am-5pm • Closed Sunday

we do

COUNTRYCOUNTRYon a bun

original Sausage dog


Workshops

The Green Living Expo includes activities for children throughout the day.

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Open tO the public • Mon. - Fri. • 8 - 5Open tO the public • Mon. - Fri. • 8 - 5

Nature’s CycleSun to Soil & Rain to Grass to Cattle to Beef to People

Come visit and try the wonderful taste of grass fed Steaks,

Roasts, Ground Beef, Stew Beef and more!

Why eat White Oak pastures beef:it’s Safer it’s healther it tastes betterit’s certified humane it’s environmentally Sustainableit’s the Deep SOuth’S lOcAl beeF

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Why eat White Oak pastures beef:it’s Safer it’s healther it tastes betterit’s certified humane it’s environmentally Sustainableit’s the Deep SOuth’S lOcAl beeF

We produce Beef the way it is meant to be grown in

our pastures and processed in our on-farm USDA

inspected packing plant.

Continued from Page 7G• 1 to 1:45 p.m. Informed Gardener-

Wise Gardner: Participants will learn to improve the value and quality of life through landscape design elements that extend living space, encourage us to thrive where we live, focusing on water conservation and eco-friendly “green” practices. Presenter: Glen Campbell has a lifelong experience in all phases of land-scape design, maintenance and growing; a horticulture degree in design and nursery operation; has won numerous awards and honors Including the Audubon Certificate for the signature property at St. James Bay Resort and Club.

• 2 to 2:45 p.m. Green Kitchen Level 1: Today’s research supports greening up the kitchen. And how many ways are there to green up your kitchen? Many! This level 1 workshop features simple yet inexpen-sive changes you can make to create a healthier, more Earth-friendly kitchen. Participants will make a green scouring cleanser to take home. If possible, bring a small container with a lid for the cleanser. Presenter: Maureen (Reenie) Rogers has been providing workshops in the North Florida region on green cleaning for the past three years.

• 3 to 3:45 p.m. The Super Efficient, Simpler Solar Home: Learn about this award winning home that uses 9 percent of energy normally required for a 3,000 sq. ft. home, powered by solar through net-metering with Progress Energy, and recipient of highest energy home rating ever issued from US Department of En-ergy and National Builders Association. Presenter: Al Simpler, owner of Simpler Solar and of this fabulous home with so many energy efficiency features that you must attend this Grande Finale of Expo 2009 to learn more.

Savings on Transportation• 10 to 10:45 a.m. Bicycle Tune-ups:

Participants are encouraged to bring their bicycles to this basic bicycle repair and maintenance workshop that will cover flat repair, lubrication, brake and shifter adjustment. Presenter: Justin Pogge is a volunteer/mechanic at Krank It Up! Com-munity Bicycle Project in Railroad Square Art Park in Tallahassee whose mission is to promote them as a sustainable form of transportation.

• 11 to 11:45 a.m. Biofuels 101: This workshop is a crash course in alterna-tive energy with a brief description of available technologies, their applications and environmental impacts. The major-ity of the talk will focus on bio-diesel as a model for biofuels and will include a

(mason-jar-sized) demonstration on how to make biodiesel and a discussion of at-home production. Presenter: Emily Smith is a biologist who has taught bio-fuels workshops from North Carolina to Florida, teaches in FAMU’s small-farms program, and is now working with local famers and business owners who make their own biodiesel fuel.

• 12 to 12:45 p.m. Change Your Tune: Gas prices and global warming have a lot of people “singin’ the blues” when it comes to transportation, but we all have places to be--so what choice do we have? Find out! Get details about several free programs to support earth-friendly trans-portation that will also save you money, including EZRide (a free, confidential carpool search) and the Emergency Ride Home Program (so you’re never stuck at work, even on days you don’t drive); plus, you’ll get to meet your neighbors and co-workers who are also thinking ‘green’ and explore vanpool possibilities customized to meet your needs. Ask questions and win a prize and learn why “Green means GO!” Presenter: Pat Maurer, employee of Commuter Services of North Florida, a fully funded program of Department of Transportation to encourage earth-friendly mobility.

• 1 to 1:45 p.m. Getting More for Your Gas Dollars: You’ll learn tips on saving money and reducing your carbon footprint without being run over by that person be-hind you. Learn the steps to getting better gas mileage with older as well as newer vehicles, and how to be an “eco-driver” or “hypermiler.” Learn what it takes to save money on every trip. Presenter: Len Adams is a retiree from city government in Iowa who lives in an energy efficient home, tries to make green choices for himself and his grandkids, and is Chair of the Green Sanctuary program at Unitarian Universalist Church.

• 2 to 2:45 p.m. Introduction to Green Wheels: This session is an introduction to many green wheel options, including The Electric Car Initiative and a wide range of vehicles owners have selected to save on the cost of transportation while saving the environment for years to come. After this introduction, go outside for the next session and talk to any of the owners whose choices fascinate you.

• 3 to 3:45 p.m. Questions and Answers with Green Wheel Owners. The green wheels will include a GEM E2, Smart Car, Prius, Honda Civic, Honda Civic Hybrid, 2001 Prius, plug-in Prius, owner converted electric bike, scooter, hybrid truck and others.


Bic

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Rodeo

Green Vendors

(Gym)

Indoor Workshops

Vend

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EntranceGuest Parking

Food Raffle

Registration

Local Food Fare

(Auditorium)

Entertainment

#4 #3 #2

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2Nd ANNUAL SUStAiNABLe Big BeNdGreen Living Energy Expo & Education Fair

Volunteer & Handicap Parking

Bicycle Tune-Ups

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Children’s Activities

Time45 min. sessions


In and Around the Home

Savings on Transportation

Do It Yourself

10 a.m.

Shopping Close to Home

(Scott Jackson)

Landscaping with Native Plants(Jeff Norcini)

Bicycle Tune-ups(Justin Pogge)

(Meet at Registration)

Rain Barrels($35 cost)

(CarrieStevenson)

11a.m.Household Composting

(Ed Oaksford)Damayan Garden Project

(Season George)Biofuels 101

(Emily Smith)

NoonCheese/Yogurt Making

(Sara Reece)

RetrofittingYour Home for

Energy Efficiency(Carl Spangler)

Change Your Tune(Pat Maurer)

Living Fence(David Copps)

(Meet at Baseball Field)

1 p. m.Raw Food

(Jill Welch)Informed Gardener /Wise Gardener (Glen Campbell)

Steps to a Better Miles Per Gallon (Len Adams)

2 p.m.

ContainerizedHerb Garden

(Trevor Hylton)

Green Kitchen/Clean Kitchen (Renee Rogers)

Introduction to Green Wheels

3 p.m.

Preserving the Harvest (JoAnn Palmer/

Shelley Swenson)

Super Efficient Simpler Solar Home (Al Simpler)

Q & A with Green WheelsOwners (outside)

Page 6G - The Wakulla News Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair Thursday, March 19, 2009 Thursday, March 19, 2009 Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair The Wakulla News - Page 7G

Workshop scheduleWorkshop scheduleG – The Wakulla News Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair Thursday, March 19, 2009

Time45 min. sessions


In and Around the Home

Savings on Transportation

Do It Yourself

10 a.m.

Shopping Close to Home

(Scott Jackson)

Landscaping with Native Plants(Jeff Norcini)

Bicycle Tune-ups(Justin Pogge)

(Meet at Registration)

Rain Barrels($35 cost)

(CarrieStevenson)

11a.m.Household Composting

(Ed Oaksford)Damayan Garden Project

(Season George)Biofuels 101

(Emily Smith)

NoonCheese/Yogurt Making

(Sara Reece)

RetrofittingYour Home for

Energy Efficiency(Carl Spangler)

Change Your Tune(Pat Maurer)

Living Fence(David Copps)

(Meet at Baseball Field)

1 p. m.Raw Food

(Jill Welch)Informed Gardener /Wise Gardener (Glen Campbell)

Steps to a Better Miles Per Gallon (Len Adams)

2 p.m.

ContainerizedHerb Garden

(Trevor Hylton)

Green Kitchen/Clean Kitchen (Renee Rogers)

Introduction to Green Wheels

3 p.m.

Preserving the Harvest (JoAnn Palmer/

Shelley Swenson)

Super Efficient Simpler Solar Home (Al Simpler)

Q & A with Green WheelsOwners (outside)

Page 6G - The Wakulla News Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair Thursday, March 19, 2009 Thursday, March 19, 2009 Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair The Wakulla News - Page 7G

Workshop scheduleWorkshop scheduleThursday, March 19, 2009 Green Living Energy Expo & Education Fair The Wakulla News – G


By LEILANIA NICHOLSSpecial to The Wakulla News

Calling all EcoKids! It’s that time of year again! Saturday, March 21 is the Third Annual Green Living Expo and Education Fair. Join us from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for tons of earth friendly kids activities. When you arrive at the Expo, swing by the EcoKids Activity Center and check-out all the fun activities planned. Sign up for the Sea Craft workshop with Paul Fortier or Recycled Paper Making with Karin Hokkanen. While you’re there take a seat and join the Wakulla County Public Library for a few earth friendly stories. The EcoKids storytimes will be offered throughout the day so you should be able to find time to sit back, relax, and listen any-time.

Bring your bike and learn how to maintain it yourself with Justin Pogge from Crank It Up. After getting your bike in tip-top shape ride it over to

the Bike Rodeo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The WCSO is working with us to plan a great time for everyone that includes a chalk relay and bike talk. Don’t forget your bike!

Hang around after the Bike Rodeo and join us for a Drum Circle with Yazid at 3 p.m. Not only will he entertain us with a show, but a drumming workshop and games as well. This will be fun for all ages.

Speaking of fun, join us at the EcoKids Activity Center anytime throughout the day for earth friendly crafts that in-clude making your own sundial, toad house from clay, natural Easter egg dyes, worms in a can, and a variety of recycled crafts. The youngest EcoKids can participate in a game of sorting recyclables as well as simple recycled crafts for preschoolers.

Let’s teach our youngest generations the importance of sustainability and earth friendly living at a young age.

Green Living Expo has activities for kids to enjoy

Visitors to the Expo can learn about many different types of “Green” businesses. Natural Matters displayed information about organic fertilizer for your lawn.

~ Exhibitors ~Waakulla County Planning DepartmentConcerned Citizens of WakullaNew Leaf MarketTAPP (Think About Personal Pollution)Air Supply, Inc.Air Con of WakullaaTallahassee Community College-Wakulla CenterSustainable Tallahassee, Inc.Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratories

Courtney Laine, Inc.Allweather Insulation, Inc.Big Bend Sierra ClubWakulla NewsKeep Wakulla BeautifulAllweather Insulation, Inc.Ecological Babies/ Doodlebug DiapersFlorida Wild Mammal Association, IncDamayan Garden ProjectWakulla.comSimpler Solar Systems


Eat well while at Green Living ExpoOn March 21, attendees of the

Green Living Expo and Education Fair at the Riversprings Middle School will be able to eat well, as they enjoy the educational activi-ties and festivities.

What is Fair Trade coffee you may ask? Fair trade refers to an equitable partnership between consumer and producer. As con-sumers, we are not able to ensure that the luscious java we begin our days with has not come to us at the expense of exploiting a small farmer in Asia, Africa or Latin America. Fair Trade certification provides independent monitoring to ensure that the coffee is being produced under fair labor condi-tions. Most of the world’s coffee is grown by small landowners. Fair Trade monitoring assures that these farmers receive a decent liv-ing wage, have access to credit at fair rates and assures long-term business relationships regardless

of the volatile economic environ-ment.

The non-breakable cup is du-rable. It is easily cleaned and its thickness makes it naturally insu-lating.

Sustainable Big Bend will again offer Fair Trade coffee for sale. Next to the coffee stand will be located Sopchoppy-based Scratch Cakes. If you’ve never tried one of their large melt-in-your-mouth cookies, layered bars or cakes, here is an opportunity to do so. The coffee and sweets will be ready by 9 a.m.

Locally owned and operated Kettle Korn Poppery will have some of the lightest and tastiest popcorn available.

TasteBudz will have an oatmeal pancake and turkey sausage break-fast available. UPcuisine and Taste-Budz will collaborate to provide savory and nutritionally-sound lunches. Meals are made from the

freshest and most wholesome in-gredients. Linnea is bringing her signature chicken and dumplings.

Vegetarian offerings will also be available from Soul Vegetarian on Wheels. They are a mobile version of a vegan restaurant chain located nationally and have been serving Tallahassee residents their fare for 12 years. Here is an opportunity to try vegetarian lunches if you haven’t in the past.

The Fair will host several area farmers among them will be Gold-en Acres Ranch which will have available cooked samples of their lamb and goat. They will also have USDA processed vacuum-packed cuts of lamb and goat.

Kurtz & Sons Dairy will have samples of their milk and cheese.

The Green Living and Education Fair runs from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. with activities throughout the day. There will be plenty of food to sustain you and your family.

It’s official. We’ve set our clocks for-ward and the countdown to spring is on. If the beautiful weather has you opening windows and digging in the dirt with fresh veggies in mind, go ahead and mark your calendar for the first Wakulla County growers’ market, coming May 5.

Purple Martin Nurseries, in conjunc-tion with FAMU StateWide Small Farm Programs and the local extension service, is pleased to join an increasing number of area community markets by hosting the Tuesday Growers’ Market, starting May 5, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The weekly grow-ers’ market will be a rain or shine event and will feature fresh, locally grown and organic produce as well as herbs, plants, local honey, seafood and more.

Interested growers and market partici-pants (no resale, please) should contact FAMU StateWide Small Farm Programs/Dr. Jennifer Taylor at 850-412-5260 or e-mail [email protected]. You may also contact Purple Martin Nurseries, located in Crawfordville, for updated in-formation on the market (926-8335).

Growers market will open here

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For: Grades K-5Camp Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.Extend Hours: 7:45 A.M. to 5:45 P.M.

Fee for Each Camp: $30 child-members$40 child-nonmembers

Fee for Extended Hours: $8 day/child

Camps include nature activities, animals,

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For more information or to register go to www.tallahasseemuseum.org

or call 575-8684 ext. 126 3945 Museum Drive

Registration Open Now for Spring Break!

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Waakulla County Planning DepartmentConcerned Citizens of WakullaNew Leaf MarketTAPP (Think About Personal Pollution)Air Supply, Inc.Air Con of WakullaaTallahassee Community College-Wakulla CenterSustainable Tallahassee, Inc.Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratories

Courtney Laine, Inc.Allweather Insulation, Inc.Big Bend Sierra ClubWakulla NewsKeep Wakulla BeautifulAllweather Insulation, Inc.Ecological Babies/ Doodlebug DiapersFlorida Wild Mammal Association, IncDamayan Garden ProjectWakulla.comSimpler Solar Systems


Eating close to homeBy HEIDI HOLCOMB

Coordinator Green Living Expo & Education Fair

Eating locally is a concept that has been getting a lot of press lately. Recently, sev-eral notable American authors have written about the subject, most famously, Michael Pollan and Barbara Kingsolver, but the list is virtually endless. To some it is a new way of thinking about food, and to others it is a wake up call to begin to think about the food we consume and its origins. To another group it has been a way of life for genera-tions. For those of us who are new to the concept of eating locally it simply means to try and eat food from sources from nearby the place that you work and live and not from another country. There is a plethora of reasons, but I will mention just a few and then let you decided for yourself.

Taste- I’ll bet you thought I was going

to say something much more eco-politi-cal, but really if you compare the taste of a fresh-picked homegrown heirloom tomato versus a regular grocery store tomato, you will notice a big difference in the flesh and the flavor. Grocery store tomatoes are chosen for their ability to withstand rough treatment and travel and taste is really the least practical consideration.

Land use–Farming is a preferable land use by far to strip malls and empty develop-ments. Farmers are stewards of the soil and generally speaking, return what has been taken away and when a farmer is done the plant communities can come back, this ob-viously cannot occur when it is paved over. Healthy soil is essential for us all.

Transportation cost–This one is obvious. Knowing that gas prices will continue to rise in the future it just makes sense for us as individuals. Higher fuel costs will likely ef-

fect large agricultural distribution companies as well making some things we used to buy frequently now cost-prohibitive.

Supporting your local economy–Buying food from local famers keeps our dollars circulating locally and helping to further our growth and success as a community.

The first thing to remember about eating or shopping locally is that it is not an all or nothing proposition. The thought of a transition of your whole way of eating can be totally overwhelming and is not neces-sary. You can start with just a few items on your weekly grocery list or look for what is available from your local grower’s market. For more ideas on eating locally and ways to stretch your food dollars come to the Third Annual Green Living Expo and Edu-cation Fair March 21, from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. at Riversprings Middle School and learn more about it. New at this years’ expo will be a

Local Food Fare and Grower’s Market where you can purchase delicious fresh food and meet some of our local farmers from here in Wakulla County and the surrounding area. Chat with the folks of Harvest from the Heart, Brigham Family Farm, Full Circle Farm and Golden Acres Ranch, Orchard Pond organics and Kurtz & Sons Dairy.

Here are just a few of the things you can expect to see at our exclusive local Food Fare and grower’s market, fresh produce and plant starts, farm fresh eggs, raw milk and dairy products, grass fed beef and lamb kabobs and much, much more. If that is not enough come learn about plans for a new Grower’s Market for the Wakulla County area scheduled to begin in May. This new oppor-tunity is being organized by Glen and Gail Campbell, of Purple Martin Nurseries.

By PAM PORTWOOD President Sustainable Big Bend

Plans are underway for the Third Annual Sustainable Big Bend Green Living Energy Expo and Education Fair (previously known as the “Big Bend Green Living and Energy Expo.” The success of last year’s event along with the “green living” trend catching on around the world brings a new level of excitement and creative ideas for this year’s event. One of the most

important aspects of the fair is the exhibit area filled with local area vendors offering products, services and information that will help attendees achieve a more sustainable, green lifestyle.

Last year more than 800 visitors from the Big Bend Region attended the event and the exhibit area was filled to overflowing with more than 50 for-profit and not-for-profit organizations represented. It is our goal to educate

attendees on the many businesses and organizations in our region that offer “green” products and services and to support our local economy by providing a venue to showcase those businesses and organizations. Last year’s exhibitors brought a wide-range of green products and services such as f looring, high efficiency heating and air systems, advanced septic systems, all-natural baby products, natural food products, alternative health services, green construction materials, solar energy products, recycled and handmade arts and crafts, and fair trade products. Not-for-profit organizations such as the local chapter Sierra Club, TAPP, Concerned Citizens of Wakulla, and Florida Wildlife Federation also participated.

This year the Sustainable Big Bend Green Living Energy Expo and Education Fair will be held on March 21 at Riversprings Middle School in Crawfordville. Following the tradition of the last two years, the event is free and open to the public. In this way, we fulfill our mission to offer outreach and education to the broadest number of people on the current trends and issues regarding sustainable living.

In third year, Green Living Expo and Education Fair grows in popularity

Commissioner George Green reads 2008 proclamation while left to right, Ron Piasecki, Pam Portwood and Elinor Elfner look on.

CLASSIFIEDS $8 Per Week!


What are Green Wheels?What are Green Wheels?The workshop on Green Wheels

raises a question. The wheels are not the color green. These wheels are the ones that your neighbors have chosen to use for their per-sonal transportation. Each vehicle was chosen or is used because it helps to create a cleaner environ-ment with less carbon dioxide going into the atmosphere and cost less to drive.

Fortunately, there are many dif-ferent choices, but by going to the workshop talking with owners who have made choices similar to your particular needs, you may gather very good information for your own future choices.

The owners will each have dif-

ferent story to tell and everyone will bring their ‘green wheels’ at the Green Living Expo and Educa-tion Fair to be seen.

Here the individuals at the fair:

• Fran Sullivan-Fahs with Ron and Joy Fahs have a PHEV (Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle.

• Jefferson Tavares has a bicy-cle which he has converted from pedal to electric power.

• Chad Hanson has a bicycle and gear for commuting from Wakulla County to Tallahassee.

• Megan Lewis has a GEM E2 all electric commuter car.

• Louis Bolieu has a bright yel-low Smart for Two car.

• Hollis Bliss has a 2004 Honda

Insight.• Will Sheftall has a VW Jetta

TDI.• Nancy Harvey has a Toyota

Camry Hybrid.• Leon County Division of

Recycling has a Ford Escape Hy-brid which Cyndy Brantley will show.

• Barry Fraser has an electric scooter to show.

• Lucyann Walker-Fraser com-mutes full time with her electric bike.

• Jim Walker will show his 2001 Prius and tell you the great deal he got.

• Diane Armbrister has an electric tricycle with a basket on the back.

• A Honda Civic Hybrid will also be shown, and there may be some surprises.

Cover layout and design by Production Coordinator

Eric Stanton.Editorial work coordinated by Editor Keith Blackmar.

Project Coordinator General Manager Tammie Barfield

Photos by Keith Blackmar and Lynda Kinsey

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--Jen Starks, Owner1117 Beachum Drive

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Rain barrels help residents save money on their water billsBy HEIDI HOLCOMB

Coordinator, 2009 Green Living Expo & Education FairRain Barrels are hot these days and water conservation and saving money are

some obvious benefits to rainwater collection. Thrift is also “in” and if you are a city dweller rainwater collection can be an excellent way to decrease your monthly water bill and have fun while you’re doing it. Water that you would have drawn from the tap for incidental uses could be drawn from a less expensive alternative; one you can decorate!

Rain barrels use a simple technique to store rooftop runoff for reuse for landscaping and other non-potable uses. By catching the runoff from your home’s rain gutters you can capture several gallons from a single rain event. The larger the surface area of your roof, the more your rain barrel will collect.

There are many ways in which to utilize a rain barrel for incidental water needs. For example, water now stored can be utilized during drought, peak water delivery times or when water restrictions have been implemented. In addition, stored rainwater can be used for any number of household uses such as lawn irrigation, vegetable and flower gardens, houseplants, car washing, and filling door ponds and birdbaths.

To learn more about the benefits of rain barrels or to have the opportunity to build

one, attend the Rainwater Harvesting Workshop from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the upcoming Sustainable Big Bend Green Living Expo and Education Fair March 21 at Riversprings Middle School. Learn in your home and landscape. Build your own rain barrel with instruction and materials provided. There is a cost of $35 for materials payable at the registration desk upon arrival. Materials are available for only 20 rain barrels, but anyone may listen and watch. Presenter Carrie Stevenson is a Florida Yards and Neighborhood Program Agent, UF/IFAS Escambia County and is a wealth of knowledge on this subject.

Too busy attending other workshops at the expo or arrive too late to attend the rain barrel workshop? Pick up a handful of tickets and enter the rain barrel raffle. Win one of four beautifully locally hand painted rain barrels. Tickets are $2 each or three tickets for $5. There will also be a plastic pot recycling tree raffle this year. If they weren’t already green enough, Just Fruits and Exotics will be donating a 6-foot ready to plant beautiful Weeping Mulberry Tree. These trees produce berries that are great food for wildlife. A ticket will be given for every five pots donated to the recycling effort. What a great excuse to clean out your shed. The winners of both raffles will be announced at 2 p.m. and prizes will need to be picked up by 3 p.m. from raffle central.

The rain barrel raffle will give visitors an opportunity to win decoarted rain barrels during the Expo. The barrels above were given away as prizes in 2008.


Summer energy saving tipsSummer is right around the corner.

When summer temperatures climb, comfort needs and utility costs increase, making energy use management even more important. Typically, the largest portion of a utility bill is for heating and cooling (44 percent), followed by light-ing and appliances (33 percent). Prepare for summer’s heat by checking the home and other equipment for ways to reduce costly cooling bills. Some simple tips to help with energy savings are:

• Set your thermostat no lower than 78 degrees when you are home. You can reduce cooling cost three to five percent for each degree above 78 degrees.

• Clean and replace furnace filters regularly. A dirty filter will increase cool-ing costs and reduces the efficiency of the air conditioner.

• Don’t obstruct air registers with furniture, carpeting or drapes.

• Keep heat-producing appliances away from the thermostat. They pro-duce heat which causes the thermostat to register a higher temperature and makes the air conditioner run more than necessary.

• When leaving your home for four hours or more set the thermostat be-tween 82 and 85 degrees F.

• Close the drapes and shades on the sunny sides of your home.

• Use ceiling fans, window or oscillat-ing fans when rooms are occupied. Fans don’t actually cool the air but they make people feel more comfortable because they cool the skin.

• Try to use the conventional stove and oven less during the hottest time of day (between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.).

• Replace incandescent lights with florescent lights. If this is not possible, reduce the wattage of light bulbs in lamps and light fixtures. This reduces the amount of heat the air conditioner has to remove.

• Use dimmer switches with lights. • Wash full loads of dishes and air

dry. • If using a dehumidifier, operate it at

a higher setting. A setting too low will cause it to run more than necessary.

• Clean coils on the refrigerator, re-move lint from the dryer, dust the lights, clean debris in/on the air conditioning unit, change the filter on the AC unit and defrost the freezer. This will help the equipment last longer and save energy.

• When purchasing new appliances choose an energy-efficient model. Look for the ENERGY STAR and EnergyGuide labels. ENERGY STAR is a program of the U.S. Department of Energy and The En-vironmental Protection Agency designed to help consumers identify energy-ef-ficient appliances and products.

• Do an energy check of your home. This will help detect any problems that may increase energy costs. Some utility companies will conduct a home energy audit.

• Enjoy your summer by keeping cool and lowering energy costs!

Decisions about transportationBy ELINOR ELFNER

Expo 2009 Planning Committee Making decisions about how to get from

here to there is so difficult during this economic crisis. Everyone complains about the cost of gas for their cars, but are there other options? Could you get more for your gas dollar?

At the 2009 Green Living Expo and Educational Fair, participants will have a chance to talk to others who have been concerned about the high price of gas and the large carbon footprint created by our gasoline-driven cars. Presenters in the two hour Green Wheel workshop will describe their choices and answer your questions. Choices range from electric bikes, hybrids, Smart cars, plug-in Prius, a real GEM and more. But that is just one of the workshops on transportation.

Adopting a sustainable lifestyle means considering your own needs and desires as well as what the impact will be on

the future of your pocketbook and of the environment you leave for your children. You must find your own gem, something that works for you.

• Transportation workshops will include Bicycle Tune-ups for your bike or your child’s, just bring your bike; Bio Fuels 101, a crash course on bio-diesel with a demonstration on production; Change Your Tune when you learn about free programs to help you save money and still get home from work for emergencies; Getting More for Your Gas Dollars by becoming an “eco-driver” or hypermiler; and finally the Green Wheels Introduction to many green options, and a question and answer session with owners of green wheels. Among other options you will see the electric GEM and be able to talk to the owner.

The Expo will be held Saturday March 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Riversprings Middle School.

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Learn to create a living fence at Expo workshop

If you’ve been considering a privacy fence for your yard, there’s an alternative to a short-lived, wooden fence. Consider a “living fence” instead. To learn more, attend the free workshop on this topic at the Green Living Expo at Riversprings Middle School on Saturday, March 21.

From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., noted land-scape designer David Copps will design a living fence before your eyes. Learn the advantages of a living fence, suitable evergreen trees and shrubs to include, and how to arrange them in a pleasing design.

Attend the workshop to watch and listen. Or join in the fun by helping to build a living fence for the school – dig a few holes, set plants, mulch, and water

with other participants. Make it a fun outdoor experience for your whole fam-ily. Numerous experienced gardeners and foresters will be on hand to assist and teach as you work. Interested parties should meet at the baseball field.

David Copps is donating his time to conduct the workshop. Trees and shrubs have been generously donated by Just Fruits & Exotics, Native Nurseries, and the Iris Garden Club. Marpan has graciously supplied the mulch.

This is just one in a series of hands-on workshops that will be offered for free on March 21. Other workshops include how to make and use rain barrels and how to maintain and repair bicycles.

Save money and stretch your food dollar through workshops

By SHELLEY SWENSONUF/IFAS Wakulla County

Extension AgentThe 2009 Big Bend Green Living Energy

Expo and Education Fair will include workshops that cover topics addressing how to stretch food dollars. It’s time to look creatively at using food products in different ways.

• A Goat Milk Product Workshop is planned where candles will be made by the participants to take with them.

• Becoming aware of and utilizing food products that are available in Florida or bordering states helps cut the cost of serving a meal tremendously. This issue will be addressed in a Shopping Close to Home workshop.

• We can learn to return food to the soil and naturally make it richer and learn how to do so in a Home Composting workshop.

• A class on the process of Making Cheese and Yogurt will be offered. Greater nutrition can be obtained from food if we eat the food as close to its original form as possible.

• This concept will be offered in a Raw Food workshop.

• As many of us seek alternatives for salts and the expense of purchased herbs and spices, why not learn how to grow your own in the workshop entitled Containerized Herb Garden.

• Interest is re-surfacing on safely preserving foods. A review of safe, proper

techniques and winning recipes will be offered in Preserving the Harvest workshop.

America is facing a new era. Things that we took for granted are now being re-evaluated in terms of how we can stretch our resources. I remember my mother drying plastic bags on the clothes line so that they could be re-used. Butter tubs were washed so that they could be used to store leftovers. Leftovers were certainly incorporated into future meals. Habits that once were considered foolish need to be considered as we live through these difficult financial times. I believe that we will re-learn, survive, and even thrive as we accept the challenge of making the necessary adjustments to our lifestyles.

Plan to attend the Expo on March 21 at Riversprings Middle School. Look for additional news articles that will follow and consult the event web site at: www.greenlivingenergyexpo.com.

2009 Wakulla Wildlife FestivalFor tour registration go to www.wakullawildlifefestival.org

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April 2 – 4April 2 – 4

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RVing green is second nature at Florida’s parks

The recreational vehicle (RV) travel season is in full swing and the Florida Department of Environmental Protec-tion (DEP) is encouraging Floridians and visitors to RV green. For frequent outdoor travelers, being eco-friendly is second nature, but many may not realize that RV travel can be green, too. With nearly 50 state parks offer-ing RV camping accommodations, it’s easy to RV green in one of Florida’s state parks.

“With an RV friendly park located in every region of the state, enjoying Florida’s outdoors by RV is a great way to experience the real Florida,” said DEP’s Florida Park Service Direc-tor Mike Bullock. “We encourage RV users to consider these green tips when operating recreation vehicles to experience natural Florida in comfort and protect our state’s precious natural resources simultaneously.”

The environmental benefits of RVing can be vast if the appropriate measures are taken to reduce energy, water usage and waste creation. Ac-cording to RV Living Magazine, RVers would have to drive 12,430 miles in a year to equal a typical home’s energy usage— that means they would have to cross the country four times in one year to compare to an average home. Plus, RVs have less space to heat and cool, saving energy and money, too.

Some tips to RV green include: · Lighten up— For better fuel mile-

age, remove unnecessary weight from the vehicle. This could be unused items in closets and storage compart-ments, or even large amounts of drink-ing water, which weigh 8.2 pounds per gallon.

· Plan ahead—Fuel consumption, travel time and additional costs can also be reduced by planning trips in advance and avoiding backtracking.

· Consider alternatives – When purchasing an RV, consider choosing an engine that can utilize biodiesel, which is manufactured from renew-able resources. Also installing solar panels to power up the vehicle’s ap-pliances can eliminate 90 percent of normal generator use.

· Save energy—If solar panels are not an option, save energy other ways by turning off the electronics when they’re not being used or simply using

the RV generator and electronics less in general.

· Keep it clean— Whatever is brought into a campsite should come back out. When stocking up the RV for a trip, try to avoid products that utilize un-necessary packaging and use reusable storage bags.

· Recycle—Recycle plastic contain-ers, paper products and cans along the way. Used engine oil, tires and batteries can also be recycled at many municipal facilities.

· Save water— A water-saver shower-head will not only reduce water usage but will save energy, too.

· Clean green—Use non-toxic, natural cleaning products when cleaning up after a trip.

Nearly 50 state parks throughout Florida accommodate RVs with aver-age lengths between 30 and 50 feet. Lake Louisa State Park in Lake County even accommodates RVs up to 115 feet in length. To locate state parks with RV camping accommodations, visit: http://www.floridastateparks.org/CampCabinLodge.cfm. Campsites can be reserved by visiting www.ReserveAmerica.com or via phone at 1-800-326-3521.

The first two-time Gold Medal winner honoring the nation’s best state park service, Florida’s state park system is one of the largest in the country with 160 parks which are open 365 days a year. Florida’s state parks, which span more than 700,000 acres and include 100 miles of sandy white beach, provide an affordable outing for people of all ages.

From swimming and diving in Flor-ida’s rivers and springs to birding and fishing or hiking and riding on natural scenic trails, Florida’s state parks offer year-round outdoor activities for all ages. Battle reenactments and Native American festivals celebrate Florida’s unique history, while art shows, mu-seums and lighthouses offer a win-dow into Florida’s cultural heritage. Florida’s state parks are also home to the 2008 Best Beach in the nation. Caladesi Island State Park, located off the coast of Southwest Florida in Pi-nellas County, was honored with this coveted award.

For more information, visit www.FloridaStateParks.org.

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Creativity will need to become part of everyday life

UPCYCLINGBy ELINOR ELFNER

Special to The Wakulla NewsWith the economy sinking, creativity

will need to become part of our everyday lives. The old cry “reduce, reuse, recycle” is expanding. Now it’s re-ink, re-think, and “upcycling”. So what’s upcycling? That’s a term from McDonough and Braungart’s book “Cradle to Cradle”. It means reusing something so that it doesn’t go to waste. In the upcoming green economy, upcycling is becoming the trendy thing to do. But, it’s just a new term for old fashioned thriftiness.

Upcycling is an inexpensive, do-it-yourself activity. How can you use old ties? Could you make a pillow, a skirt, a wall-hanging? What about “old” clothing? Restyling and faded fabrics are becoming popular. What about carpet scraps? Can you make throw rugs with creative edging? Yes, you are creative.

My father “upcycled” pillars from an old mantel piece in the 1950’s, turning them into table lamps. Of course, he was just “making do”, but today those lamps would be considered upscale accessories. In 1959, I bought a used library table, removed the posts of the legs and created a coffee table which has served me well for over half a century. With young children playing on it, the surface has had to be refinished several times, but I’m glad to know I have an “upcycled” coffee table.

With climate change threatening our

coastlines, crops, and weather, we should all be looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions in the atmosphere. One way is to reduce the need to manufacture more products from our natural resources. In “upcycling” we save transportation and production emissions. In the process we also save our own financial resources, substituting our time and creativity for hard cash. And, local used furniture, junk, and Goodwill stores benefit rather than China.

On March 21st at the Green Living Expo and Education Fair, there will be an exhibit of “upcycled” products to stimulate your own creativity. Included will be unusual “green” products, such as, “soap nuts” which are a natural product used as an alternative to laundry detergent. If you have an “upcycled” or unusual “green” product that could be displayed at the Expo, contact Shelley Swenson at the IFAS office (926-3931). You can help us all adopt more sustainable practices.

The Expo will be an all day affair from 9:00-4:00 with many workshops on sustainable practices in transportation, around the home, and with your food choices; with activities for children and youth; and with many exhibits by vendors and non-profit organizations in the Big Bend area. Put this date on your calendar now--Saturday, March 21st, Green Living Expo and Education Fair, at Riversprings Middle School on Spring Creek Road in Wakulla County.

Susan Jones and daughter visit with Posh at 2008 Expo.

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Green Living Expo 2009`

Documents

Transcript of Green Living Expo 2009`