The Green Living Expo 2010

A Resource Guide produced by

The Wakulla News

Riversprings Middle School • Saturday, May 8 • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Green Living Expo

Brought to you By

www.greenlivingenergyexpo.com

Page 2G – The Wakulla News Green Living Expo Thursday, May 6, 2010

Without the support of the sponsors listed below, the Green Living Expo 2010 would not have been possible. The mission of Sustainable Big Bend, Incorporated is to be a catalyst for change by providing services to enhance healthy lifestyles, wellness, economic development, education, outreach, and com-munity capacity building with regard to various aspects of sustainable living. The Green Living Expo is the large annual educational event for businesses and families of the Big Bend area, and each of our sponsors is helping our larger community become more sustainable. Thank you all.

SUSTAINABLE BIG BEND, INC. THANKS OUR SPONSORS

Pam Portwood, Shelley Swenson, President of Sustainable Big Bend, Inc. Chair of Green Living Expo Planning Committee

• Capital City Bank• Envision Credit Union• Harvest Printing• Just Fruits & Exotics• Wakulla Bank

• Pruitt Humphress Powers & Monroe Marketing & Communications• Native Nurseries of Tallahassee

• Posh Organics & Gifts• Talquin Electric Cooperative• Wakulla.com• Veolia ES Technical Solutions

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• US Green Building Council - Florida Capital Region Chapter• From the Heart Recording Studio

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Thursday, May 6, 2010 Green Living Expo The Wakulla News – Page 3G

By SHELLEY SWENSONChair, 2010 Expo Steering CommitteeUF IFAS Wakulla County FCS AgentAll of the details of the 4th annual Green

Expo are finalized. Consider yourself per-sonally invited to this wonderful event. This year’s Expo is bigger and better than any of the previous Expos. A small group of county individuals served on the Steering Committee and each has worked extremely hard to coordinate this fantastic event.

The Steering Committee members be-lieve in living responsibly and want other people to see the many and varied ways people can become more sustainable in their life practices. To plan your Green Living Expo day, read this insert and visit www.greenlivingenergyexpo.com. When you arrive, start at the registration desk so you can learn where things are being held and if there are any schedule changes.

There are so many things for the en-tire family to do. We have expanded our children’s activities so children of all ages will have plenty to do while parents at-tend workshops and visit the Exhibit Hall. Nutritious foods will be available on the grounds. Entertainment will go on much of the day and several entertainers are di-rected toward the children in attendance. The Farmers Market will provide you an opportunity to buy fresh food directly from local farms.

Everyone in the area should be collecting and using rain water for vegetation inside and outside your homes to conserve on this important natural resource. There will be workshops during which you can make a rain barrel to take home at day’s end.

A new addition this year is a Film Festival. The films include: “A Chemical Reaction”, “Wakulla Spring, A Watery

Treasure”, Blue Gold”, and “Food Inc.” Watch for the descriptions of these films in this special section so you can decide if you should take the opportunity to see them at The Green Expo. There is no charge to view these films. You will leave each film looking for a group to discuss what you experienced since each is very thought-provoking. Dis-cussion groups on sustainability issues in this area might be “on the horizon.”

Plan to stop by the school’s computer lab and learn more about your personal carbon footprint. This is an eye-opening experi-ence where you and your family can learn how much your way of life contributes to greenhouse gas emission. Learn ways to lessen your carbon footprints.

I am especially excited about the Uni-versity of Florida IFAS booth. It is being coordinated by Kathryn Zeiwitz, recently hired Sustainable Community Develop-ment Specialist. She and her staff have developed the booth on water quality and have focused their attention on Wakulla County.

In addition, Ms. Zeiwitz is going to ex-plore the potential in forming “sustainabil-ity circles” facilitated by Extension-trained “sustainability mentors.” This would allow us to continue the efforts that start at events like The Green Living Expo through the formation of study circles made up of like-minded persons meeting regularly to discuss a sustainability-related topic. There have been several individuals who have indicated interest in this concept. I think we are ready for this type of experience in Wakulla County and with Ms. Zeiwitz being interested in piloting the program in a Florida county, why shouldn’t it be here. If you want to learn more, stop by the UF/IFAS booth and meet Ms Zeiwitz and her staff.

Another important aspect of the Green Living Expo is the Green Homes Tour. Tickets for the events and additional in-formation of what will be featured at each home will be available. Read more about the specifics in this special section.

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear our keynote speaker, Dr. Pierce Jones. Dr. Jones is the Director of the Program for Resource Efficient Communities and will be addressing participants in the cafeteria at the Expo. The title of his presentation is Water, Energy, and Land Development in Florida.

The 2010 Green Living Expo is soon approaching. I hope you will attend and profit from all of the expertise that will be in one place, at one time on such an important issue as Sustainability.

The place to be on May 8 is… the Green Living Expo

Specializing in

Office: 850 962-5218 • Cell: 850 567-5458P.O. Box 606, Sopchoppy, FL 32358Licenses #CBC047832, #CRC1327274, #CCC1326353

By PAM PORTWOODPresident of Sustainable Big Bend

It is my honor to serve again as Presi-dent of Sustainable Big Bend. As I reflect over the last four years, I ask, what has sus-tained this fledgling organization thus far?

Every year, after we’ve pulled off another successful Green Living Expo, we have lost our leader due to job relocations or other life circumstances, every year we’ve met to discuss how or if we should proceed as an organization, every year we are revitalized and energized by a core group of volun-teers who believe in our mission, we are supported by strong community partners, we are encouraged by a community that is looking for a more sustainable future, and we are led by a tenacious board committed to becoming a resource for sustainable liv-ing throughout the Big Bend region.

This year is no exception – this year I know what sustains us:

A core group of volunteers who believe in our mission.

This year’s Expo includes a day filled with meaningful workshops, activities and entertainment for all ages and reflects the incredible talent of our 2010 Green Liv-ing Expo Committee. It has been a great privilege, as President of Sustainable Big Bend, to work with and get to know this year’s committee. The 2010 Committee includes educators, artists, executives, PhDs, homemakers, public servants, government officials, business owners,

and civic organizers – all with a common passion for sharing the message of sustain-ability at a grass roots level. Without them, there would be no Expo. Their months of hard work and dedication bring to fruition the goals of SBB by providing FREE education and awareness of vital is-sues while providing simple solutions that will strengthen us as individuals, families, and communities.

Local support from our partner orga-nizations – Wakulla County Extension & Wakulla County School Board.

We have enjoyed holding the Expo each year at Riversprings Middle School –the facilities are beautiful and what better venue to encourage and promote sustainability than a school attended by the generation that will experience the consequences of our actions (good and bad). We are so grateful for the support from the Wakulla County School Board and Riversprings Middle School.

When Heidi Holcomb, last year’s SBB President and Chair of the 2009 Green Living Expo Committee found out she would be relocating to Oregon, we be-gan our search for a Chair of the 2010 Green Living Expo Committee. Shelley

Swenson, Extension Agent, came to mind immediately. Shelley worked on the 2009 Committee as workshop coordinator and we knew she had the skills, abilities, and above all, the energy to take the reins for 2010. In keeping with prior years, our partner, UF/IFAS Wakulla County Exten-sion, stepped up with a willingness to al-low Shelley to put some of her professional time and effort into acting as Chair of the 2010 Green Living Expo Committee. It is no easy task to “rein-in” such a strong-willed group of highly-talented and high-energy volunteers month after month, and week after week. Her tenacity, patience, organizational skills, and positive energy has brought the focus, structure and lead-ership necessary to get the job done.

The encouragement of a community that is hungry for information on how to live simpler, more sustainable lives.

In October of last year, SBB sponsored the “Smart Living—Save Energy, Save Money event to judge the community-wide concern and desire for sustainable living events. Our press release asked the question, Should we continue to spon-sor a Green Living Expo event? In the weeks that followed, we heard from the community – it was a resounding YES. That, coupled with an inspiring presenta-tion from Leon Jacobs that reiterated the importance of spreading the message of sustainability, was enough to re-energize our SBB Board and our volunteer base to continue the Expo.

The commitment of our board to be a catalyst for change in the area of sustain-able living:

This year has brought change to the SBB Board both in membership and focus. We have asked and answered some hard questions and are more convinced than ever that we have been and can continue to be a catalyst for positive change in our community and throughout the Big Bend region. Bearing witness to this are survey results from last year’s Expo showing that many of the 700 or more 2009 Expo at-tendees have put into practice at least one lesson learned in their daily lives. We look forward to growing our Board and our organization into a model of sustainability in the region.

Yes, I know what sustains us… So, thank you to our 2010 Green Living Expo Committee, thank you to our partners, thank you to the community, and thank you to my fellow SBB Board of Direc-tors.


What sustains Sustainable Big Bend?THE WAKULLA NEWS, Thursday, April 15, 2010 – Page 9A

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Th is weekend was what we’ve waited for, once the wind died downWe just came off an absolutely

gorgeous weekend and there were plenty of folks out fi shing. The bait and tackle stores were all smiles but tired Sunday afternoon. This is what they have been waiting for. On the way to get bait I noticed both the Wildwood Inn and Best Western had great crowds and that was good to see. Hopefully the economy is starting to turn around.

Jimmy at Shell Island Fish Camp said fishing was good this past weekend. Lots of Spanish were caught, plenty of trout and a 37 or 38 inch cobia came in which was caught on the flats. The angler was fi shing for trout with a gulp when the fi sh hit and it took over an hour to land on 10-pound test. A large group from Macon Supply was down and fi shed with captains Kenny Daniels, Sid Stringer and Gary Schanke. They caught lots of trout and Spanish using the gulp and shrimp. Kenny fi shed the West fl ats Sunday afternoon and got into a big school of trout and caught them on every cast. Those folks went back to Macon happy.

Capt. Kent Taylor over at AMS in Medart said they were selling shrimp like they were going out of style. Capt. Chris Oaks had the Andy Smith party from Albany, Ga., and they came in with 12 gags and four red grouper and about 200 pounds of grunts and rock bass. He also fi shed with the Gene Love party from Tallahassee and they had 13 grouper and about 200 pounds of grunts and rock bass. They fi shed in about 50 to 60 feet of water with live bait and dead bait. This time of year there are some huge black sea bass out there and they top many people’s list of best tasting

fi sh. Kent and Luke Frazier went last Wednesday to the Clam Bar off the Ochlockonee and caught three trout real fast but the high winds made it too uncomfortable to fi sh. They came in to the mouth of the river and caught some reds. When I was in AMS last week get-ting shrimp I was talking to a guy from Cairo who has been catching a lot of sheepshead off the Rotary Reef using shrimp and fi ddlers. Last week they caught over 50 and about eight or nine of those were over six pounds. Kent was also saying there were lots of Spanish between the West End of the Long Bar and the Panacea Channel.

Rick Stanski bought a Hobie Kay-ak about three or four months ago and has been wearing out the fi sh. His favorite spot is Hickory Mound and he has it fi gured out. Last week he caught his limit of trout every day he fi shed plus some nice red-fi sh. On Saturday he had a fl ounder, a limit of trout and he was trying to catch a redfi sh to make his slam. He hooked what he just knew was a big red but it turned out to be a 30-inch trout, which he released. Rick fi shed a gold spoon most of the time and when his father and nephew come to town he books me to take them all fi shing. This year I showed him

how to fi sh a grub and he’s found a new way to fi sh. He uses the gulp and curly tail Gotcha grubs. Rick is from Minnesota and comes to our area in the fall when he trails dogs for fi eld trials. He is heading back home this Wednesday but hopes to get back to Hickory Mound just one more time. Good luck!

Phil Sharp of Shell Point fi shed Saturday and had a tough day but went back on Sunday and got his limit of trout using the Gulp and live shrimp. I talked to Scott Gaby on Sunday and he said they fi shed over at Lanark over the weekend and caught about 13 nice reds around the docks using live shrimp.

Guiding people fi shing can be a lot of fun and it can also be very frustrating, especially if you can fi nd the fi sh that want to feed. Last Friday I fi shed with the Braveman party from Crawfordville, Maine and Crabapple, Ga., who were here for a mini family reunion. Three adults and a 6 and 8 year old. The wind blew early but when it fi nally quit the fi sh started biting. When you take kids fi shing and the fi sh-ing is slow they tend to get bored easily, which they were doing. The fi sh fi nally turned on and their at-titudes changed completely. Austin and Ethan both caught some nice

trout. The fi rst one Austin caught was close to five pounds and Ethan kept saying he would like to catch a big one like that. He fi nally got one about 21 inches long and when I netted the fi sh I gave him fi ve and he said: “Now that’s what I’m talking about.” We only fi shed a half-day and the wind made the first part of that half-day pretty lousy. When the wind died it was a different story.

Don’t forget about the Red Trout Shootout sponsored by Kevin’s to be held out of C-Quarters Marina in Carrabelle. This will be held on April 24. On May 22 and 23 the Rock the Dock Tournament will be held at Rock Landing in Panacea. This tournament benefi ts the Panacea Waterfront. There is a masters divi-sion, youth and a kayak division. Then on June 18 through 20 will

be the Big Bend Saltwater Classic hosted out of the Carrabelle Boat Club in Carrabelle. This weekend in Destin is the big cobia tourna-ment.

Somebody was telling me they were out at O Tower last week and a boat was catching red snapper and putting them in the box. He yelled over to them that snapper season was closed. They replied they were in federal waters and could keep them. Wrong! When you go out you need to know the limits and regula-tions, which evidently these folks didn’t know. Ignorance of the law won’t keep you from getting fi ned and I, for one, hope these guys got checked before they got in.

Know your limits and leave that fl oat plan when heading out on the fl ats or offshore. Good luck and good fi shing!

Six-year-old Ethan Braverman and his cousin Austin, 8, with Capt. Jody Campbell.

The Wakulla NewsFor local news and photos visit us onlinewww.thewakullanews.com

From The DockBY CAPT. JODY CAMPBELL

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By KATHRYN GIBSONSponsored by Sustainable Big Bend,

the Green Home Tour began four years ago in conjunction with the Green Living Expo to provide participants with oppor-tunities to both see and experience green technologies in homes and to encourage dialogue and networking between at-tendees and homeowners. Each year has been unique, evolving to respond to the feedback and comments from the previous year’s participants and to incorporate new information as it has become available in the field of home construction, renovation and resource conservation.

First of all, what is a green home? For this tour we have defined a green home as a building that has been designed, constructed and/or retrofitted to ensure healthy indoor air quality, water and energy efficiency, reduced CO2 emissions and overall good stewardship of the resources used and conscientiousness about the im-pact of building on the landscape.

This year the Tour will take place on two days as attendees told us that they needed more time at each home for more in-depth conversation with homeowners and other attendees. They also wanted to be able to pick and choose which homes might be more relevant to their interests. Therefore on Saturday, May 15, and June

5, two homes will be visited each day. A brochure of the four homes and their fea-tures will be for sale at the Green Living Expo on May 8.

The first home is a retrofitted trailer tucked among palms and oaks in one of our historic coastal communities. This trailer will dispel any stereotyped notions you might have about trailers! The imaginative homeowner has transformed a 37 year old single-wide into a stylish, functional and energy efficient custom home. With Art Deco influences throughout, attendees will experience how one person has created a delightful living environment with earth-friendly, salvaged and reclaimed materials. If you are not inside marveling at the clever innovations such as the counter top that can become a tea trolley, you can walk the ¾ acre lot planted with native and edible plants. While visiting the home the owner will also share her experience and exper-tise in using ‘green’ cleaning products and strategies. She may also have some recipes for ‘green’ skincare.

Cracker design inspired, our second home is only a few years old and has many of the newest energy efficient technologies, as well as salvaged, recycled and recyclable materials.

Continued on Page 8G

2010 Green Home Tours scheduled in May and June

Opportunity for more in-depth dialogue between homeowners and attendees

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Workshop descriptions and facilitator backgrounds

By ANDREA CARTER10:00 – 10:45 a.m. WHAT DOES

IT MEAN TO LIVE GREEN? Kathryn Ziewitz. Room #511.

Living green means conserving energy and water, recycling, and taking steps to shrink our ecological impact. But it also means tapping our creativity to increase the health and resilience of our communities. This workshop will provide an overview of sustainability principles, a group visioning and brainstorming session, and a time for participants to begin their own sustain-ability plan. Ms. Ziewitz works for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service to help Florida communities become more sustainable. She is an environmental science educator who co-authored The Green Empire: the St. Joe Company and the remaking of Florida’s Panhandle (2004). She holds degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Minnesota and is a PhD student in geography at Florida State University.

10:00 – 10:45 a.m. THE IMPACT OF OUR CONSUMPTION AROUND THE WORLD. Dr. Samiri Hernandez Hiraldo. Room #509.

Participants will explore the implications of our level of consumption, our depen-dence on foreign labor and resources, and the impact of the global economy on the health, environment and socio-economic conditions in various parts of the world. A resident of Wakulla County, Dr. Hernandez Hiraldo holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Michigan and has taught at the university level, including two years at Florida State University.

10:00 – 10:45 a.m. HARVESTING RAINWATER AND NEW IRRIGATION METHODS. Scott Jackson and Carrie Stevenson.

Learn the various techniques of collecting rainwater and establishing irrigation systems to save water in your home and landscape. Scott Jackson is the Wakulla County Exten-sion Director and Carrie Stevenson is an Escambia County Extension Agent. Work-shop will be held outdoors.

10:00 – 11:45 a.m. ORGANIC GAR-DENING. Jack Simmons, Room #507.

Growing food is something many people are learning to do for the first time. This workshop will teach home gardeners the principles and techniques of growing vege-tables and fruits without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. A Tallahassee native, Mr. Simmons owns and operates Crescent Moon Organic Farm in Sopchoppy, Florida

and makes his living as an organic farmer. 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. GREEN JOBS;

WHAT AND WHERE ARE THEY? Kim-berly Moore, Irvine Leonard, Marc Dick and Vasselka McAlarney. Room #511.

Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innova-tion is charged with helping Floridians find jobs. Representatives from the agency and Tallahassee Community College’s Workforce Development Program will give participants information on both the state and the local job markets, training available, and a snapshot of the steps Florida is taking to be a leader in the new Green Economy. . Ms. Moore is the Chief Executive Officer of Workforce Plus and the current president of the Wakulla County Chamber of Com-merce. Mr. Leonard, who has 35 years of experience in the plumbing and pipefittng trade, is TCC’s lead instructor for con-struction programs. Marc Dick is principal consultant for the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program for new construction. Vasselka McAlarney is an economist with the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation, who also serves as the green jobs analyst for the agency.

11:00 – 11:45 a.m. BE THE SOLU-TION TO POINTLESS PERSONAL POLLUTION. Eric Livingston. Room #509.

The primary sources of water pollution in Florida are storm water runoff and septic tanks. This workshop will describe what non-point source pollution is and how it affects the ground and surface waters in Wakulla County. Participants will learn how everyday activities can either gener-ate pointless pollution or contribute to the solution. Presenter Eric Livingston is a Wakulla County resident and biologist who currently serves as program administrator of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Storm water Section.

11:00 – 11:30 a.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL. 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club. Outdoors.

Learn how to save water in your home and landscape by building your own 35 gal-lon rain barrel with instructions and materi-als provided. Work one-on-one with a 4-H member who will assist you in completing the project. Cost is $35.00, which covers all materials. Participation is limited to five people. The workshop will be repeated at 11:30, 1:00 and 1:30. Sign up for this workshop at the Expo registration desk.


Education and information is purpose of 2010 Green Living Expo

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Continued from Page 7G11:00 – 11:45 a.m. MAKING A RAIN

BARREL. Jeannie Brodhead. Outdoors.Twenty participants will make a 45-50

gallon rain barrel in this hands-on work-shop, which includes instruction and all materials. Cost is $35.00. Register at the Expo registration desk. Jeannie Brodhead is a retired librarian who currently serves as president of the Iris Garden Club. A Master Gardener, she participates in many garden-ing activities in the area.

11:30 a.m. - 12:00p.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL. 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club. Outdoors. $35.00 fee. Register at Expo registration desk. Limited to five participants.

12:00 – 12:45 p.m. WATER, ENERGY, AND LAND DEVELOPMENT IN FLOR-IDA. Dr. Pierce Jones.

The Expo’s keynote speaker, Dr. Jones is a professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida. He directs the Program for Resource Efficient Communities, which promotes green design, construction and management practices in residential devel-opment. His presentation will illustrate the steep cost of Florida’s rapid growth and steadily increasing demands on energy, wa-ter and land. He will discuss how Florida’s residential growth patterns can be modified to make more efficient use of water, energy and natural resources. To accommodate a larger audience, the keynote address will be held in the cafetorium.

1:00 – 1:30 p.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL. 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club. Outdoors. $35.00 fee. Sign up at Expo registration desk. Limited to five participants.

1:00 – 1:45 p.m. HOW TO RECYCLE EVERYTHING. Nancy Paul. Room 507.

Information on how and where to re-cycle almost everything, and what to do with what’s left will be the topic covered in this workshop. Nancy Paul has served as the recycling coordinator for both Leon

County and the City of Tallahassee, and is now general manager of Marpan, Inc., the state’s only permitted Class III Material Re-covery Facility. Marpan recycles 65% of the material delivered to its Tallahassee facility, including mattresses, cardboard, metals and “urban wood”.

1:00 – 1:45 p.m. HYDROPONIC GAR-DENING. Ken Gambill. Room #509.

Detailed information on a number of hy-droponic growing systems that can be con-structed and managed by the homeowner to grow vegetables, herbs and other plants will be provided workshop participants. Construction techniques and procedures to maintain optimum growth environments will be demonstrated. Ken Gambill is a me-chanical engineer who also holds a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and has grown hydroponic herbs commercially.

1:00 – 1:45 p.m. LEARNING ABOUT ELECTRIC BIKES. Andy Reich. Outdoor workshop.

Electric bicycles are an efficient and inex-pensive transportation option. Learn about different types of pre-built electric bikes as well as conversion bikes, their motors, bat-teries and how the components are selected to build a bike for the individual’s transpor-tation needs. Andy Reich is an importer who has owned and operated Falcon EV, a Tallahassee business that sells and services electric bikes and electric scooters.

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL. 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club. Outdoors. $35.00 fee. Sign up at Expo registration desk. Limited to five participants.

1:00 – 2:45 p.m. STITCHING CIRCLE: A Road to Re-purposing. Shelley Swenson and Kathryn Gibson. Room 511. $5.00 fee. Sign up at Expo registration desk.

Join a group of Do-It-Yourselfers in activ-ities to unleash and nurture your creativity. Recycled fabric and embellishment tech-niques will be used to make a stylish market bag to replace the plastic bags that clog our landfill. Consider this an opportunity to share the ancient tradition of sewing circles.

Parents and their children are welcome! Participants must be 13 years or older, and are encouraged to bring sewing scissors and examples of refashioned clothing, quilts or embellishments they would like to share. Shelley Swenson is the Wakulla County Family and Consumer Sciences agent and Kathryn Gibson is a lifetime environmen-talist and art therapist who seeks creative expression in all areas of life.

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. SOLAR HOT WATER HEATING. Joe King. Room #507. Learn the history of solar water heating, how it works, what types of products are available on the market today, and how to select the most appropriate product for your home. Joe King has 25 years of experience in the construction industry, and has specialized in solar hot water heating installation for Premium Solar, Inc. of Tallahassee for the past four years.

2:00 – 2:45 p.m. MAKING YOUR OWN COMPOST. Ed Oaksford. Room #509.

Learn how to compost your house-hold food waste to enrich your garden and keep this natural material from streams and landfills. See the steps of the process, the simple tools and equipment needed and discover how beneficial compost is to the environment. Ed Oaksford is a retired ge-ologist and home gardener who is currently enrolled in the University of Florida’s “Bee College”.

2:00 – 2:45 a.m. LANDSCAPING WITH NATIVE PLANTS. Betsey Smith. Outdoor workshop.

Explore the richness of our natural heri-tage while learning to design and care for a landscape that uses some of our finest native plants. Betsey Smith is a Wakulla County native who holds a degree in horticulture from the University of Florida. She has 14 years of experience in the nursery industry and currently works with Just Fruits and Exotics Nursery in Medart.

3:00 –3:45 p.m. SOLAR ENERGY FOR THE HOME. Michael Mastry. Room #511.

Solar panel design, cost, location, instal-lation and maintenance will be topics of this workshop. Points for the homeowner to consider when thinking about solar energy for the home will also be discussed. Michael Mastry represents Pro-Solar, a Tallahassee solar energy company that sells, installs and services solar collectors.

3:00- 3:45 p.m. HOW TO CONDUCT YOUR OWN HOME ENERGY AUDIT. Robin Dias and Doug Dender. R o o m #507.

Find out what a home energy audit is, why they are conducted and what value they have to the homeowner. The presenters will share ideas and techniques for resolving the most common areas of energy waste found by energy audits. Robin Dias has eight years of experience conducting home energy audits. He and Doug Dender have established Gray Services and MHI, Inc. specializing in energy efficiency for build-ings and mobile homes.

3:00 – 3:45 p.m. HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL. Eric Poland. Room #509.

Participants will learn ways to decrease their energy consumption, including ef-fective home improvements and behavior changes. Information will also be provided on how our lifestyle choices affect our elec-trical usage. Eric Poland is a Construction Engineer with experience in the construc-tion industry who currently is employed as a home energy auditor by Progress Energy.

3:00 – 3:45 p.m. SIMPLE WAYS TO CREATE A GREEN AND HEALTHY HOME. Reenie Rogers. Outdoor work-shop.

A healthy home supports a healthy body. Going room by room, this workshop will explore simple, affordable ways to create greener and healthier living spaces. Participants will make a safe, non-toxic, earth-friendly cleanser to take home. Ms. Rogers is a green living consultant who has conducted numerous workshops and individual consultations designed to help others detoxify their homes and lives.

Workshop descriptions

Continued from Page 6GAt this home an attendee can ask

questions about tankless water heaters, advanced nitrogen reducing septic sys-tems, dual flush toilets, air circulation and insulation. This gem of a house sits in a xeriscaped landscape managed with prescribed burning and best land manage-ment practices. Unable to list here all there is to see, I have to mention the new roof water collection and distribution system that supplies water to the landscape and to a water feature.

Located in northern Wakulla County the third house was constructed by a lo-cal pioneer in adopting low-cost, energy efficient building strategies. On 5 acres that he shares with gopher tortoises the homeowner has returned the sinkhole and landscape to its native vegetation. Inside one will see ceiling sun tunnels for light, natural linoleum, a solar hot water and the use of no VOC (volatile organic compound) paints and stains. As an avid advocate for living simply the homeowner will share his experience of how he made

building and materials decisions with participants.

The fourth stop has yet to be decided upon, but will provide opportunities to see different features than the others have demonstrated. As different and unique as each home is they all share a common bond. They have been constructed or retro-fitted by people who share a determination to live sustainably and ensure the quality of the environment we live in.

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find that it is bound fast by

a thousand invisible cords that cannot be broken, to everything in the universe”- John Muir

Please stop and visit us in the Green Home area when you visit the Green Living Expo. There will be someone available to answer questions and to provide informa-tion on low-cost, energy-efficient strategies for your home that anyone can employ with little or no money. See you there.

Green Home Tour

Thursday, May 6, 2010 Green Living Expo The Wakulla News – Page9G

By ELINOR ELFNERCan we live without plastic? That’s

a dumb question. We all know that the world has been “plas-ticized” as Sylvia Earl says. About 50 billion #1 plastic bottles are made every year from virgin material—that means petroleum—that’s fossil fuel. Every minute, Americans throw away 40,000 plastic bottles and 50,000 plastic bags.

There’s a dead zone in the Pacific Ocean, approximately the size of the state of Rhode Island, where “throw aways” and bits of plastic from pro-duction of all our plastic “stuff” accumulates. The currents swirl around this area gathering more plastic from the oceans. Well, only the plastic that sea creatures haven’t eaten thinking it’s food or which hasn’t caught the birds as the plastic bags takes flight.

We probably can’t live with-out plastic, but we can reduce the damage to wildlife by reducing the plastic in our lives. Here are some

ideas:* Don’t buy water in plastic

bottles; use water fountains or your own cup.

* Avoid buying any no. 7 plastics because they can’t be recycled at all. Check the number inside the

triangle on the bottom of the item.

* When a “throw away” is necessary, use biodegradable paper containers.

*Take reusable bags to the store and never accept plastic bags.

*Recycle all the plastics you “must” accept by taking items to recycling centers, includ-

ing carrying plastic bags back to grocery

stores.At the Green Living Expo

on May 8 at Riversprings Middle School, you’ll have a hard time finding much plas-tic. All our food vendors are

adopting sustain-able practices and using biodegrad-

able serving items. The food will be delicious and our impact on the earth’s resources will be minimal.

Can we live without plastic?

Every minute, Americans throw away 40,000 plastic bottles and 50,000 plastic bags

Lucy Carter wears 3-4 days of plastic.

1st Presbyterian Church of TallahasseeADTS - Authorized ADT DealerAir Con of WakullaAir Supply Inc.A-Plus Water Solutions, Inc.Arte MexicoBratton and TuckerCap. Chapter, US Green Bldg. CouncilConcerned Citizens of WakullaFlorida Green Building CoalitionFriends of Wakulla Springs State ParkGourds and Gophers Plant NurseryGulf SpecimenHigh Quality Heating & AirHigh Quality Heating & AirKeep Wakulla County BeautifulLDS Construction Services, IncMaximum Building Systems, IncNatural MattersNew Leaf Market

Pro SolarProgress EnergyPurple Martin NurseriesSarracenia Chapter of FNPSSustainable TallahasseeTallahassee Energy and ConstructionTalquin Electric CooperativeTCC Workforce Development DivisionThe Wakulla NewsWakulla Co. School BoardWakulla Co. Chamber of CommerceWakulla Co. Coalition for YouthWakulla Co. Dpt. of Public ServicesWakulla Co. Housing DepartmentWakulla Co. Solid Waste ManagementWakulla Co. Planning and ZoningWakulla Extension OfficeWormSmiths, LLCYour Own Garden Expressions

2010 Expo exhibitors

SOUND, STAGING & MUSICBROUGHT TO YOU BY

Entertainment Schedule9:30 AM Ron Patrick

10:45 AM Ernest Toole

Noon Ralph Pelletier

1:15 PM Suzette Stephens - Storyteller

2:15 PM Safari Man

3:00 PM Jim Graham & Rick Ott

Expo Entertainment Schedule

Page 10G - The Wakulla News Green Living Expo Thursday, May 6, 2010

TIME ROOM 511 ROOM 507 ROOM 509 OUTSIDE

10- 10:45WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE GREEN?Kathryn Ziewitz

ORGANIC GARDENING

Jack Simmons

THE IMPACT OF OUR CONSUMPTION AROUND THE WORLDSamiri Hernandez Hiraldo

HARVESTING RAINWATER AND NEW IRRIGATION METHODSCarrie Stevenson

Scott Jackson

11-11:45GREEN JOBS: WHAT & WHERE ARE THEYKimberly Moore

BE THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTIONEric Livingston

See Rain Barrel Workshops

12-12:45 Keynote Speaker - Dr. Pierce Jones (Cafeteria)“Water, Energy and Land Development in Florida”

1-1:45STITCHING CIRCLE A Road to Repurposing

$5 FeeKathryn Gibson Shelley Swenson

HOW TO RECYCLE EVERYTHING!Nancy PaulHYDROPONIC GARDENINGKen Gambill

LEARNING ABOUT ELECTRIC BIKESAndy Reich

2-2:45 SOLAR HOT WATER HEATINGJoe KingMAKING YOUR OWN COMPOSTEd Oaksford

LANDSCAPING WITH NATIVE PLANTSBetsey Smith

3-3:45 SOLAR ENERGY FOR THE HOMEMichael MastryCONDUCT YOUR OWN HOME ENERGY AUDITRobin DiasDoug Dender

SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL

Eric Poland

SIMPLE WAYS TO CREATE A GREEN &

HEALTHY HOMEReenie Rogers

ROOM 501

FILM FESTIVAL

9:30 - 11:00 A Chemical Reaction

Scott Houston

11:15 - 12:00Wakulla Springs:

A Watery TreasureBayard Stern

1:00 - 2:30 Blue Gold

2:45 - 4:15Food, Inc.

Workshop Schedule

Proud sponsor of The Green Living Expo

MEMBER FDIC

Thursday, May 6, 2010 Green Living Expo The Wakulla News - Page 11G

TIME ROOM 511 ROOM 507 ROOM 509 OUTSIDE

10- 10:45WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE GREEN?Kathryn Ziewitz

ORGANIC GARDENING

Jack Simmons

THE IMPACT OF OUR CONSUMPTION AROUND THE WORLDSamiri Hernandez Hiraldo

HARVESTING RAINWATER AND NEW IRRIGATION METHODSCarrie Stevenson

Scott Jackson

11-11:45GREEN JOBS: WHAT & WHERE ARE THEYKimberly Moore

BE THE SOLUTION TO POLLUTIONEric Livingston

See Rain Barrel Workshops

12-12:45 Keynote Speaker - Dr. Pierce Jones (Cafeteria)“Water, Energy and Land Development in Florida”

1-1:45STITCHING CIRCLE A Road to Repurposing

$5 FeeKathryn Gibson Shelley Swenson

HOW TO RECYCLE EVERYTHING!Nancy PaulHYDROPONIC GARDENINGKen Gambill

LEARNING ABOUT ELECTRIC BIKESAndy Reich

2-2:45 SOLAR HOT WATER HEATINGJoe KingMAKING YOUR OWN COMPOSTEd Oaksford

LANDSCAPING WITH NATIVE PLANTSBetsey Smith

3-3:45 SOLAR ENERGY FOR THE HOMEMichael MastryCONDUCT YOUR OWN HOME ENERGY AUDITRobin DiasDoug Dender

SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL

Eric Poland

SIMPLE WAYS TO CREATE A GREEN &

HEALTHY HOMEReenie Rogers

ROOM 501

FILM FESTIVAL

9:30 - 11:00 A Chemical Reaction

Scott Houston

11:15 - 12:00Wakulla Springs:

A Watery TreasureBayard Stern

1:00 - 2:30 Blue Gold

2:45 - 4:15Food, Inc.

Workshop Schedule

Proud sponsor of The Green Living Expo

MEMBER FDIC

By KATHRYN GIBSON AND SHELLEY SWENSON

Last summer we offered a three day workshop for 10 girls between the ages of 7 and 13 to explore the ancient craft of refashioning used or discarded cloth-ing into useable items, contemporary and necessary. Do you remember Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind” where draperies were “refashioned “ into a formal dress? This was the concept we wanted the participants to consider.

At our youth event, each participant

brought something from her closet or from the closet of a family member to refashion or repurpose. They shared de-lightful stories about the previous life of the item and their hope and plans for its future use. We heard about a mother’s lovely brown long-cherished skirt and her daughter’s plan to turn it into a contem-porary dress. Worn and outgrown jeans became handbags. Outdated skirts were cut, pieced and embellished as the girls

made new friends. The excitement of cre-ation nurtured an environment of mutual respect and appreciation. The participants shared their dreams, aspirations and suc-cesses as they sometimes struggled with the new tools and techniques of sewing.

Both of us remember our grandmothers and mothers cutting and piecing together remnants of fabric that had been accu-mulating. Some were well worn articles of clothing no longer capable of repair or small pieces that remained following the stitching of a new frock. Each tumble from a horse or imprecise measurement of caustic chemicals could be read in the stain or rip that led to its move to the sewing basket. Many remnants were pieces that had been traded or gifted from neighbors or relatives. Every useable scrap was fodder for another project and another story.

For generations, creation was a part of every woman’s life. Domestic arts are seldom a part of what we teach our children now. These living arts had been passed down by oral histories through generations of forbearers connecting us to our roots and our community.

Today often our delight in what we adorn ourselves and our surroundings comes from how little we paid or a trend that might have inspired it, rather than from any personal connection. We often don’t expect much from what we buy, because the item will not be with us long. But attitudes are changing.

We received wonderful, positive feed-back from the participants and their par-ents. Other adults expressed interest in a similar experience and Explore Stitch-

ing Circles—A Road to Repurposing resulted. The workshop will be offered from 1 to 2:45 p.m. at this year’s Green Living Expo. Join the group of like-minded persons in activities to unleash and nurture your creativity. Through the utilization of re-cycled fabric and by learning embellishment techniques, participants will be encouraged to cre-atively express themselves while making a stylish market bag to replace the plastics and paper bags that clog our landfills. Consider this an opportunity for sharing the ancient tradition of sewing circles between family members, friends and close neighbors.

These are the details of which you must be aware:

Participants must be 13 years or older.

Parents and their children are wel-come!

Each participant is encouraged to bring example of refashion clothing, quilts and/or household items, a sewing scissors and any embellishments you would like to share with the group.

The class is limited to 15 people. There is a $5.00 charge for the event. Enrollment in the event will be han-

dled as a first come, first serve basis. Indicate your interest in being a part

of the workshop and pay your registration fee at the Green Living Expo Registration Desk.

By reconstructing clothing we reduce the demand for new items. Manufacturers can direct their energies toward produc-ing quality rather than quantity. Reusing materials is different from recycling in that it does not involve reprocessing and its associated cost and waste created from reprocessing.

We can learn to be more self-sufficient and to be inspired into repurposing more. We can do our part in helping to nurture and save the planet.

Please consider joining us at the Green Living Expo in the workshop entitled Explore Stitching Circles—A Road to Repurposing.


Explore Stitching Circles - A Road to Repurposing

Haleigh Martin refashioned an item dur-ing the three-day workshop in 2009.

Cai Martin holds up her repurposed quilt.

Repurposed cloth shopping bags and a wreath adorn this ordinary piece of green felt to create a wall hanging.

Share the ancient tradition of sewing circles between family and friends

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By Sherri HoodWakulla County 4-H Agent

In an effort to include more educa-tional opportunities for young people at this year’s Green Living Expo, the Wakulla County 4-H Program has started the Green Ambassador’s Program. This pro-gram recruited interested middle school students from Riversprings and Wakulla Middle Schools to act as facilitators for the edu-stations that will be found at the Green Expo this year. As children and their parents register for the event, children will be given an “Eco-Passport” to take to each edu-station and get it stamped once they complete the activity at the station. They will also be given a folder to keep up with the educational materials that they will receive at each station.

It is the goal of the Green Ambassa-dor program to allow students to teach each other and younger students about environmental stewardship, sustainable lifestyle choices and green practices that they can do in their own lives. As each child participates in hands-on activities, they will hopefully choose to incorporate what they are learning into their everyday lives and encourage others to do the same. By signing a pledge and returning their passport for a certificate at the end of the day, we hope to inspire young people to

believe that what they do, even in small ways can make a difference.

Edu-stations will be staffed from 9 a.m. until 12 noon and will incorporate original ideas from the Green Ambassa-dors themselves.

Recently, in preparation to host at the Green Expo on May 8, the Green Am-bassadors were invited to participate in a spring break camp to explore the natural beauty of Wakulla County and five of the eleven Ambassadors participated. We took two field trips to boat down the St. Mark’s River and to kayak down the Wakulla River as well as learned to pack a litterless lunch, identify common trees in North Florida, navigate using a county road map and throw a cast net. All participants wished that we had more time to explore and were inspired to think of creative ways to save their environment and teach other throughout this program.

The pledge of the Green Ambassadors is

I am a concerned citizen of Wakulla County, the State of Florida, the United

States and of the Planet Earth.I choose to help educate myself and

others about sustainable practices, environmentally-friendly activities and

planet-saving solutions.

What does it mean to be a Green Ambassador?

By LEILANIA NICHOLSSaturday, May 8 is the 4th annual Green

Living Expo and we’re inviting all EcoKids to join us from 9-4 for tons of earth-friendly kid’s activities.

When you arrive at the Expo, drop by the EcoKids Activity Center (designed for the younger set) and take a seat with the Wakulla Library staff for earth friendly stories (the EcoKids story times will take place through-out the day). If you aren’t ready to sit a spell, choose from a number of other activities such as learning about the water cycle and then creating a group mural or participate in a “Let’s Make It Rain” experiment.

If that doesn’t float your boat, join us for the Recycled Regatta and make your own boat out of recycled items. Other EcoArt activities include decorating an Inspiration Box (can be used to keep those unusual things you find now and then that might be useful in art and craft projects) or decorating

an old cereal box to store magazines.Let’s not forget Mom! Her special day

is Sunday, May 9th. The EcoKids Activity Center is the perfect place to make her a recycled gift from the heart. Start with an egg carton flower bouquet and finish with a decoupage vase to place it in!

Other activities include a Recycle Sort-ing Game, EcoKids Circle Games, and the EcoKids Coloring Center! Don’t forget to keep your ears open for the sound of some kid-friendly entertainment, such as the popular one-man-band Safari Man Roger Tripp.

The Expo is a great place to teach our kids the importance of sustainability and earth-friendly living. If we instill these values in this generation at a young age, green living will become a way of life instead of a change in life as it has been for many of us. Join the fun, Saturday, May 8 from 9-4!

EcoKids activities will educate and entertain

Wakulla resident Clay Lovel and daughter Mary

Elizabeth make a very sticky bird feeder during

Expo kids activities in 2009.

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Every year millions of earth loving citi-zens participate in the annual spring ritual of planting trees and flowers. It beautifies and makes our yards and our community a better place to live – for humans and wildlife.

But what happens to all of the plastic pots that the plants come in? Far too many go to the landfill. Bulky and slow to decompose, it can take decades for them to rot.

Thanks to the Green Living Expo and Justs Fruits & Exotic Nursery, you can recycle your pots and be entered to win a prize. For every 4 nursery pots you bring in you’ll receive a raffle ticket. Just Fruits has donated a beautiful ginkgo tree for the grand prize.

Unlike many places that sell plants,

Just Fruits grows most of their plants and uses a lot of pots doing it. So, take a few minutes, clean out those pots and bring them with you. We ask that you bring only black, not broken, 6-inch or larger pots. Help yourself and Mother Earth. If you can’t make it to the Green Living Expo, you can always take them to Just Fruits for a credit on plants.

Want a rain barrel? Don’t have time to make one? Don’t have the money to buy one? No worries, just enter the Rain Barrel Raffle at the Green Living Expo. Tickets are $2 each or three tickets for $5

Prizes include four beautiful, locally hand painted rain barrels, a container garden donated by the Iris Garden Club (pictured above), and two gift baskets donated by Posh.

Enter to win prizes at the Expo

By ELINOR ELFNERIf we want to leave any of our natu-

ral resources for future generations, we need to adopt living styles that minimize our personal use of those resources. Of course, we could leave this up to Big Government, but if we each make small changes, we can support our friends and neighbors, leaving water, energy and air resources for future generations.

A Sustainable Treasure Hunt is a way to look at your own life style, almost like an outsider would. Here’s a guide to find out how you are saving treasures for future generations.

1. Energy efficient transportation—Look at your family vehicles. How energy efficient are they? How efficient is your use of the vehicles? Do you pick up and go or plan to minimize your trips across town. How often do members of your family use alternative transportation? Bicycles, scooters, buses, etc.? Are your vehicles well maintained? Low tire pres-sure or overdue tune-ups can really reduce the miles per gallon in your car, or the increase the leg effort on your bike.

2. Food—Much of the food we eat travels 5,000 miles just getting to our tables. Do you check labels to see which country grew your food? Are you buying from local farmers? Are you buying fruits and vegetables when they are in season and preserving them for use in other seasons? It takes a lot more water and fossil fuels to produce the protein from beef than from plants. Are you eating less meat and more beans and rice? Pesticides used to increase production leave behind pollution that fouls our waterways and may harm our health. Are you buying organic food when possible? Are you growing any of your own food? Do you buy fair-trade coffee? Do you take cloth bags to the store and say “No Thank You” to paper or plastic bags?

How do you prepare your food? Do you use a pressure cooker to avoid longer cooking times? Do you use pans the same size as the burner so heat is not wasted? Do you use a convection oven or micro-wave oven when possible? Do you save the leaf-overs and use them BEFORE they spoil? Do you save all food scraps except meat products to put in your compost pile to make fertilizer for your garden?

3. Trash & Things—This section is the “waste not want not” part of the treasure hunt. Do you make your shopping list, including toilet paper, so that no last min-utes trips are necessary? Do you recycle paper, glass, plastic, and aluminum? Do you cut-up old towels to make re-useable rags to use in place of paper towels? Do

you donate gently used items to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or your kids? Do you sand, repaint and reuse old furniture? Do you have a place to save items for re-gifting? Do you give alternative gifts and services rather than “stuff”?

4. Water—Do you repair leaky toilets and faucets immediately? That small drip can waste water and cost you gallons. Have you switched to low-flow shower-heads and faucet aerators? Do you turn off water while brushing your teeth or shaving? Do you wash only full loads of clothes? Do you use native plants in the garden which are more drought tolerant than other plants? Do you collect all that (or most) of that rainwater that falls on your roof. Do you put a liter bottle of water in your toilet tank to reduce the amount of water in each flush? Do you have a rain garden to capture runoff?

5. Electricity for Heating/Cool-ing—Have you made your house as tight as possible by weather-stripping around doors and caulking around windows? Do you replace furnace or heat pump filters regularly? Do you use a programmable thermostat and keep your house warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter to minimize the cost of heating and cooling? Do you keep the fireplace damper closed when not in use? Have you installed in-sulating window coverings? Do you use fans when people are in the room to make the room feel cooler? Are your windows the “low-E,” which reduce solar radia-tion? Do you have deciduous trees on the south and west to reduce cooling in the summer and heating in the winter? Have you checked the insulation in your attic and added more in increase the R-factor to 33? Do you buy the highest SEER heat pump or air conditioner you can possibly afford over the long haul?

6. Electricity for Lighting—Do you use as much daylight as possible and turn off lights when leaving a room? Have all your light bulbs been changed to CFLs (compact fluorescent) or LEDs (light emitting diode)? Do you motion sensors for automatic turn off of exterior lights? 7. Electricity for Appliances—Do you unplug all those small countertop ap-pliances when not in use? Do you wash clothes in only cold water, using detergent with enzymes? Do you clean the lint trap in the dryer after every use and in the vent to the outside twice a year?

Do you use a clothes line for drying clothes? Do you buy only energy star appliances and check the efficiency of appliances when replacing them?


Sustainable treasure hunt is a way to evaluate lifestyle

Help Feed Your Neighbor!

Bring Non-Perishables to the registration desk of the

Green Living Expo.

Food will be given to the

Wakulla County Food Pantries.


Continued from Page 14G8. Garden and Yard – Do you use a

manual push lawn mower or an electric mower rather than a gas mower? Do you use a mulching mower rather than fertilize your lawn? Do you use solar garden lights? Do you mulch gardens to avoid evaporation of moisture?

9. Other—Do you share your hopes and experiences with friends in conversa-tion; let your elected leaders know you

support sustainable living; advocate for green construction and green remodeling; and involve family members in household efforts to live more sustainably?

You can get many helpful hints at work-shops and from exhibitors at the Green Living Expo on May 8th at Riversprings Middle School. Join others between 9:00 and 4:00 for learning, movies, raffles, good food, and a great guest speaker.

Treasure hunt

Larry Sapp of LDS Construction Services in Sopchoppy, proudly holds his ICF Builder Award in front of the Rigby-Lightner residence in Tallahassee,

a green home he completed in 2008.

Sopchoppy builder receives ICF Builder Award

Floors made of bamboo, renewable hard-wood, or tile are a few of the interior features of the ICF Award-winning home built by LDS Construction Services. The home is built with Insulated Concrete Forms, commonly called ICFs, which are hollow foam blocks stacked then filled with steel-reinforced concrete.

Larry Sapp, owner of LDS Construction Services in Sopchoppy, described the owners of the home in Tallahassee as “technologically inclined people.” He said they had spent years researching their needs and identified their priorities as strength, for frequent Florida hurricanes, clean indoor air because of allergy sensitivities, environmental friendliness, energy efficiency, and comfort.

ICF homes combine the strength of concrete with the insulating properties of foam and can reduce energy bills by 70 percent. Exterior noise is blocked and the structures are extremely disaster resistant. ICF homes are one of the most popular “green building” construction methods and costs 5 to 10 percent more than typical frame construction.

The Rigby-Lightner home, built in Tallahassee by Sapp, was named Second Runner-Up in the Small Residential division at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas. The ICF Builder Awards are given annually to projects that demonstrate outstanding innovation, quality, and craftsmanship in ICF construction.

Sapp used Nudura ICF construction for the Rigby-Lightner home and during the award presentation, judges cited the complexity of the design, striking architecture, and dealing with the flooding challenges brought from Hurricane Faye during the construc-tion in 2008.

The home owners were very happy with the project stating the quality construction gives them a feeling of security and the energy efficient features help reduce their carbon footprint. “The house turned out more beautiful than we imagined,” they said.

The home is 2,873 square feet requiring 2,204 square feet of ICF construction method. The total cost of construction was $450,000 and was the first project in the area with an ICF foundation.

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When you plan your Expo day, be prepared to relax, learn and enjoy the day. Don’t forget to bring the following:

• Canned goods or other non-perishables (for local foodbanks)• Lawnchairs (to enjoy the outdoor entertainment)• Your mother (to honor her and Mother Earth during Mother’s Day weekend)• Family and friends

And don’t forget items for recycling:• Electronics (all kinds)• Light Bulbs (all kinds)• Batteries (all kinds)• Cans, Plastics, Paper• Black plastic nursery pots (6” or larger) for a chance to win a large Gingko tree

What to bring to the Expo

Jazz at the Lodge

Saturday, May 87-9:30 p.m.

Deborah LawsonGroup

Historic Lobby- Wakulla Springs Lodge

Cash Wine and Beer BarA presentation of Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park

www.wakullasprings.org

How much do you learn by watch-ing movies? A lot, if those movies are documentary films chock full of fascinat-ing information and mind-searing images that inspire and motivate. This year’s 4th annual Green Living Expo, to be held on Saturday, May 8 at Riversprings Middle School, will, for the first time, feature documentary films with this magical power to change behavior.

The film festival kicks off at 9:30 a.m. with a film presentation of “A Chemical Reaction”, hosted by Scott Houston rep-resenting Agra-Quest, an organic lawn care products company. The documen-tary explains the damaging impact lawn chemicals have on human health and tells the inspiring story of a Canadian town that was the first to prohibit their use.

At 11:15 a.m., the newly released “Wakulla Springs, A Watery Treasure” will be showcased. Tallahassee filmmaker Bayard Stern, who produced the film, will introduce it at the Expo. The film traces the history of Wakulla Springs and the people that helped shape it, and includes colorful interviews with local personalities Don Gavin and Luke Smith, tour boat captains; Springs Ambassador Cal Jamison; park rangers, Sandy Cook and Bob Thompson, and Enwood Ashmore, whose insights to the influence of former springs owner, Ed Ball, are captivating. The film’s amazing footage covers the cave exploration of the Woodville Karst Plain project, which was the longest cave dive in history, and inter-views diver Casey MacKinlay, hydrologist Todd Kincaid and biologist Scott Savery. Recent struggles to control the effects of de-velopment and protect the pristine waters of the springs are also documented.

After lunch, at l: 00 p.m. the film festi-

val resumes with a showing of “Blue Gold”. Based on the ground-breaking book of the same title, the documentary has won several awards, including Best Ecological Film at the European Independent Film Festival and Best Documentary Film at the Newport Beach Film Festival. The movie presents the economic realities surrounding our earth’s dwindling fresh water supply, and exposes the hardship suffered by people in third world countries because they lack

clean drinking water. Wrapping up the day’s film offerings,

“Food Inc.” will be shown at 2:45 p.m. Presenting a comprehensive look at the food industry in America and its impact on farmers and consumers, the film also offers action steps toward establishing more healthful and sustainable food practices.

Admission to the film festival and the Expo is free and the public is invited to attend.

Expo’s film festival to feature documentaries chock full of fascinating information

A scene from “Wakulla Springs, A Watery Treasure.Please Recycle

Calculate Your Carbon

Footprint!Computer Lab

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5k Run Benefit for the Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park

Join the Friends for the annual 5k Run for the Friends. This is a sanctioned event in conjunction with GulfWinds Track Club. This unique run winds through a wilderness area of the State Park which is not open to the general public. Last year’s crowd was over 200. This year, we have added a Run and Ride option for runners and their families.

Date: May 15, 2010

Location: Wakulla Springs State Park, Wakulla County (22 miles south of Tallahassee) Distances & 1 mile Family Fun Run begins at 8:00 am Race Times: 5k Run begins at 8:30 am

Special Event: "Run and Ride" Runners Guided Boat Tour..............11:00Runners and their families are invited on a special guided boat tour for an additional $6.00 per adult, $3.00 for kids 4 to 12 (Children under 3 are free). Please “make your reservations” by paying for the Run and Ride with your registration fee. Fees: Pre-registration ends May 12th

Pre-registered $12; No shirt option $7 Day of race $15; no shirt option $10

Family Fun Run $10, no shirt option $5; children 5 and under free T-shirts: 1 shirt $15; 2 shirts $25 (for the 5K Run)

Please see next page for registration form.

The Friends of Wakulla Springs would like to thank our sponsors. Without their support, we could not host the 5K Run that directly benefits Wakulla Springs. This year, the Friends of Wakulla Springs hope to raise enough money for the park to refurbish the four river boats, and the four glass bottom boats that were built by Edward Ball in the 1960’s. To learn more about donating to the Friends, or to become a member, please visit http://www.wakullasprings.org/projects.html

Air Con of Wakulla

You’ve seen the coon prints on your back porch or the footprints of the deer in your garden. You’ve even seen your own footprints as you step out of the shower or tub. But, have you considered your carbon footprint? This is the footprint you leave in the atmosphere to affect the disruption of cli-mate for future generations. It’s the amount of carbon dioxide left in the atmosphere from the choices you make throughout your life. The problem is you can’t see it directly.

Most of your carbon footprint comes from use of electricity in your home or busi-ness and from the fuel to run your car, truck, or boat. These sources of energy mostly come from fossil fuels which leave behind the carbon dioxide. If everyone on the earth created as large a footprint as those of us in the United States, it would take between six and ten planets to support all of us. Go to www.ecofoot.org to check how many of the earth’s productive acreage is needed to support your life style.

If you lived on Samso Island your foot-print would be very small and you would be much more self-sufficient. Samso is a tiny island in Denmark and one of the few places on earth with almost no carbon footprint. The Technology Center at Riverspings Middle School will become the “Computer Lab” during the Green Living Expo on May 8th. You’ll need to be there between 10:00 and noon to calculate your own carbon footprint. If you bring your family’s utility bills, you may go to http://www.epa.gov/cli-matechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html then you can check “At Home” section to see actions you can take to reduce your emission and your utility bill.

Youth may want to play the game at http://planetgreengame.com/game.php?quickStart=1 or to http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator to compare US emissions in tons of CO2 per year with World averages. They can also compare their footprint to other kids by going to http://us.zerofootprintkinds.com/kids_home.aspx.

Big and small footprints


Seems like the old idea of eating food from our gardens and our friend’s gardens has come back in style! I see signs of the Local Food Movement everywhere I look: its on TV, on the internet, on the radio, in magazines and books. It is an exciting thing when the power of our choices is reflected in popular media. There are many reasons to eat locally but I will mention just a few here:

Taste. Nothing says summer quite like a bite into a juicy red tomato fresh off the vine. The aroma of green that hits your nose just as you are about to take that bite, the amazing burst of flavor as the juice drips down your chin. Compare that to the tomato at a grocery store that was picked while hard and unripe, gassed to accelerate the ripeness (i.e. color), and then sat around for weeks and …well…there really is no comparison is there? Most produce sold at local Growers’ Markets was picked that morning!

Supporting your local economy. Buying food from local farmers keeps our dollars circulating locally and helps to further our growth and success as a community. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the com-munity at every transaction.

Supports responsible land develop-

ment. When you buy local, you give those with local open space - farms and pastures - an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped. Small family-owned farms have a much lower ecological footprint that large agribusi-ness operations. Healthy soil is essential for us all.

Know what you are eating. People who eat locally find it easier to ask ques-tions and get answers because the grow-ers are easily accessible. Shouldn’t you know more about how your food was grown than how the latest Hollywood star was dressed yesterday?

Get in touch with the seasons. When you eat locally, you eat what’s in season. You’ll remember that tomatoes are the taste of summer and that fall is coming when the last of the figs fade away….

There are Growers’ Markets in Leon County. A great website for learning about markets and farms is www.local-harvest.org. For more ideas on eating local come to the 4th Annual Green Living Expo & Education Fair May 8th, from 9am-4pm at Riversprings Middle School. This will be the 2nd year a Growers’ Market will be offered at the Expo where you can purchase delicious fresh food and meet some of our local farmers from here in Wakulla County and the surrounding area.

Grower’s market offered at Expo

2009 Green Home Tour participants admire a local grower’s vegetable garden.

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Change has arrived in the construction industry, and both the environment and energy will be critical considerations. As a user of the built-environment, under-standing how daily activities both at work and at home affect the green environment is critical.

To educate the community on this topic, Tallahassee Community College will offer a class at the TCC Wakulla Center in May.

Get the Green Advantage will be of-fered from 6-10 p.m., Monday-Thursday, May 17-20. Cost is $109.

“This course provides a holistic and foundational approach to green construc-tion for building professionals and the consumer so they can understand how

their work and habits are connected to the green building process, how it encourages more collaboration on projects and how to generate more efficient, greener results,” said Marc Dick, Alternative Energy Spe-cialist. “The course is excellent preparation for persons in the construction trades wishing to take the Green Advantage Certified Practitioner exam.”

Additionally, TCC will offer Introduc-tion to Solar Hot Water from 6-10 p.m., on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, May 17-27. The cost is $99.

This Florida Solar Energy Center course is designed to provide trainees and consumers with the knowledge and skills needed to design, install, operate and maintain, or purchase the most com-

mon types of solar water heater systems. The course presents an overview of solar thermal applications, provides basic infor-mation on the principles of solar energy, reviews solar thermal technologies, and provides detailed instruction on the safe, efficient installation of solar water heating and pool heating systems.

Interested participants can learn more about the classes and pre-register by visit-ing TCC’s Green Guide booth at the Sus-tainable Big Bend Green Living Expo on Saturday, May 8 at Riversprings Middle School in Crawfordville.

For more information on classes offered at the TCC Wakulla Center, please call (850) 922-6290 or email [email protected].

“Get the Green Advantage” at the TCC Wakulla Center

A nature writing workshop will be held at the FSU Coastal and Marine Lab on Sunday, May 16 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The daylong workshop will feature writer, editor, and naturalist Sue Cerulean as the leader, taking particpants away from the distractions of daily life into the larger real-ity of the land and waters that support us through the patient, informed observation of a particular place.

Under shady pines of Apalachee Bay the workshop promises to teach participants to practice quick, informal writing exercises to sharpen skills of observation; study the art and importance of concrete detail; learn to keep a nature journal, and why it is impor-tant at this time on the planet; consider being a voice for the place we live in and love.

Participants should pack a lunch and beverage, bring a folding chair, journal and pens, hat, and sunscreen.

To register, contact Sharon Thoman at the FSU Coastal and Marine Laboratory at [email protected] or call 850-697-4095. Credit cards will be accepted for registration.

Nature writing workshop with Sue Cerulean

Sunday, May 169 a.m. - 4 p.m.

FSU Coastal and Marine Lab

Located On Scenic Hwy. 98/Coastal Hwy.30 Miles South of Tallahassee

Approx. 10 Miles From Beautiful Wakulla Springs, Beach, Rivers & Short Drive to Wildlife Refuge

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by Kathryn GibsonThere will be something for everyone this year at the Green Living Expo on May

8th. We are very pleased that several of our local food vendors will be returning by popular demand. They are:

Kettle Korn Poppery will be back with their freshly popped gourmet popcorn. In addition to their regular lightly salted and lightly sugar glazed popcorn, they will have available unsalted popcorn for those attendees needing to limit salt intake.

You will find Debbie Dix’s POSH in the cafeteria where she will brew some fresh aromatic fair trade coffee and herbal ice tea. Among the delights for the senses you will also find ‘Divine’ and ‘Art Bar’ fair trade and organic chocolates. ‘Art Bars’ have become known by chocoholics nationwide for their unique packaging and commit-ment to supporting the arts by donating 10% of their profits to art education. She has some other surprises for us as well.

Award winning TasteBudz will also be back with a variety of their wholesome freshly cooked breakfast and lunch specials. Last year Chef Judy helped us great the day with her Oat Pancakes and Turkey Sausage. I do not know what lies in store for us for lunch but I can rest assured that it will be tasty and healthy.

Soul Vegetarian will also return with their unique vegetarian cooking. I understand that they are opening a take out restaurant and have been cooking up some of their signature meals with the power of the sun. Maybe we can get them to show us what they know about solar cooking.

Sopchoppy landmark and favorite eatery, Scratch Cakes will be back with some local favorites. We’re hoping for some fruit breads, cookies and cinnamon buns. Miss Audrey also plans on bringing some surprises.

New to our Expo is CornerstoneCooking. Morris Pigott will bring his trailer bar-beque to cook up some tasty burgers and pulled pork sandwiches. He credits his dad for inspiring his passion for cooking. He remembers fondly watching and helping his dad cook for the family.

JandJ Lemonade are scheduled to bring lemonade to quench our thirst. They will have some lemonade that you can sweeten yourself with alternative sweeteners.

Tasty, healthy food on Expo menu


Visit the TCC and Green Guide booths at the Green Expo.

Meet graduates of the Green Guide Certification Program.

(850) 922-6290 | [email protected] | workforce.tcc.fl.edu

The Green Guide Certification Program provides classroom and field-based training designed to:

Create a nature-centered network of businesses and guides

Enable guides to provide tourists with environmentally and socially responsible experiences

Green Guide Certification Program Begins September 20th at the TCC Wakulla Center

Florida Green AcademyRegister now for the following classes offered at the TCC Wakulla Center

Introduction to Solar Hot Water May 17, 18, 20, 24, 25, 27 from 6 – 10 p.m.

Get theGreen AdvantageMay 17 – 20 from 6 – 10 p.m.

Documents

The Green Living Expo 2010