Overview of the 1St Annual Montgomery County Greenfest
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1st Annual Montgomery County GreenFest Montgomery College Takoma Park/ Silver Spring March 28, 2015 Summary More than 700 people came together for the first annual Montgomery County GreenFest. The day was a great success with families, college students, volunteers, community leaders, and national speakers sharing ideas and inspiring one another to protect our environment. Highlights of the Day Included: • Tree climbing for kids in Jesup Blair Local Park • Ukulele music for kids • Electric vehicle car show • Almost 80 for-profit and non-profit exhibitors • Four films as part of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital • Featured speakers including USFWS Director Dan Ashe and County Executive Ike Leggett • Kids films and educational activities hosted by Montgomery College Schedule 11:00am – 11:15am: Welcome by the County Executive The County Executive will be introduced by Lisa Feldt, Director of the Department of Environmental Protection. Michael F. Riley, Director of Montgomery Parks, will also welcome GreenFest attendees to Jesup Blair Local Park. 11:00am – 4:00pm: Local Environmental Organization and Businesses Exhibition Tour the outdoor exhibit tent in Jesup Blair Local Park featuring more than 40 non-profit organizations and government agencies, including the Montgomery County Department of Transportation hybrid bus. Other non-profit organizations and other exhibitors will be inside the Cafritz Arts Building and the Cultural Arts Center. The list of exhibitors in attendance is at the end of this document. 11:00am – 4:00pm: Tree Climbing and Kids Activities with Montgomery Parks Join staff arborists from Montgomery Parks for rope-assisted tree climbing. For kids only. Also follow our Tree Trail! Learn about the trees of Jesup Blair Local Park with a self-guided tour. 11:00am – 4:00pm: Music and Food in the Plaza Music will be occurring throughout the day in Jesup Blair Local Park, the outdoor plaza and, weather depending, inside the Montgomery College buildings. 11:00 – 11:45 Ukify Workshop: Kathryn Para teaches the ukulele 12:00 – 12:45 Music from Wanda Perkins of Wind Divine 1:00 – 1:45 Music from Kathryn Para 2:00 – 2:45 Music from Davey Rogner 3:00 – 3:45 Ukify Workshop: Kathryn Para teaches the ukulele, followed by a workshop mini concert If hungry, GreenFest attendees can take advantage of the grill with food for sale by Montgomery College’s caterer, Chartwells. Sustainably sourced lunch items, including snacks and vegan options will be available for purchase. Attendees who bring a reusable bottle can also receive a discount on drinks, such as lemonades and iced tea. 11:00am – 4:00pm: Electric Vehicle Car Show Electric vehicle owners will be bringing their vehicles to display in Jesup Blair Local Park. View the cars, ask questions of the owners and compare all the vehicles yourself! Talk to owners directly about their driving experiences and dumping the pump. Electric vehicles on display will include: • Volt • Leaf • i3 • Focus Electric (Montgomery County Government Fleet vehicle) • Ford Fusion Energi (2013) • Tesla Roadster (2010) • Tesla Model S (2013) • Tesla Model S P85D (2015) • e-bike (an electric bike) • The Montgomery County Department of Transportation will also be on hand to give tours of a fuel efficient bus. Did you know that family car tailpipe emissions contribute up to 50% of a household’s carbon footprint? 11:30am – 12:30pm: Creating Your Own Backyard Habitat According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, every day species’ extinctions are continuing at up to 1,000 times or more the natural rate. This biodiversity loss has implications for the health and services of our ecosystems upon which all life depends. Learn about how you can make a difference to enhance biodiversity and improve local water quality in your own backyard through the creation of pollinator and rain gardens, organic lawn care, and by contributing to monitoring efforts by local scientists. Featured Speaker and Moderator: Dan Ashe, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service –Protecting Monarch Butterflies Panelists and Areas of Focus: • Kevin Coyle, Vice President, Education Programs, National Wildlife Federation –Creating a Wildlife Friendly Garden • Edamarie Mattei, Founder, Backyard Bounty – Creating Rain Gardens and Conservation Landscaping • Paul Tukey, Chief Sustainability Officer, Glenstone – Organic Lawn Care • Alison Pearce, Volunteer Coordinator, Audubon Naturalist Society – Citizen Science in Your Backyard 11:30am – 1:00pm: Water Short Film Series and Panel Discussion The Water Short Film Series features 4 short films focused on local water issues. • No Away: A Montgomery County Public School student music video • Footprints on the Water: A Montgomery County Public School student video • The Anacostia River: Making Connections: The cleanup, restoration, and revitalization of the Anacostia does not happen because of one politician, organization, donor or person. It happens because many people, organizations, and governments are working together, rising to the challenge, and making the connections to support the work. Directed by Emily Wathen and Susanne Coates. Produced by Emily Wathen. • Towpath Joe: Towpath Joe is a documentary short film completed in 2014. World Premiere Musician, naturalist and Potomac River advocate Joe Hage moves to a small island “inside the beltway” of Washington, D.C. A nascent island caretaker, Joe rediscovers himself as a diplomat for the river. Following the Water Short Film Series is a panel of local experts and stars from the films who will discuss the future of Montgomery County’s waterways. Panel Discussion: • Moderator: Bryan King, Associate Director, Fisheries and Wildlife Division, District Department of the Environment • Panelists: • Dennis Chestnut, Executive Director, Groundwork Anacostia River DC • David Smith, Executive Director, The Pearl Coalition and Former Anacostia Riverkeeper • Julie Lawson, Director and Cofounder, Trash Free Maryland • Emily Wathen, Susanne Coates and Joe Hage, filmmakers and subject of Towpath Joe 11:30am – 1:00pm: Understanding Home Energy Options This session will cover getting a home energy audit, improving efficiency, exploring solar, purchasing clean energy, and assessing the value of your home energy investments. Featured speakers include, Dave Heffernan, John Jabara, Gary Skulnik and Stephanie Kneeland This session is brought to you by BethesdaGreen 11:30am – 1:00pm: Life as an EV Owner and Driver This workshop will focus on the electric vehicle (EV) ownership experience. Hear from local, long-term EV drivers to get answers to questions about range anxiety, battery charging & infrastructure, maintenance, helpful apps, power sources, performance and handling and more! Featured speakers include, Joyce Breiner, Ron Kaltenbaugh, Gail Schnell, Scott Wilson and David Yaney. This session is brought to you by Poolesville Green. 11:30am – 1:00pm: Water Conservation at Home: How-to Mini Plumbing Clinic Can you identify a flapper leak? How many gallons of water is used when watering the lawn? Where is your main turn-off valve? This mini clinic conducted by WSSC Plumbing Inspectors and Field Technicians will cover basic plumbing skills, such as leak detection, how to read an inside meter and identifying household usages that can result in high water and sewer bills. Learn how to identify plumbing issues and make minor plumbing repairs that will save you money. 11:30am – 12:30pm: Children’s Water Films and Activity The Children’s Water Films will be broken into 2 parts: What Happens When We Build Cities (USA, 2013, 10 min.) This is appropriate for middle school age children. Join EarthEcho Expeditions as they paddle the Anacostia River to discover how stormwater from urban centers is quietly choking our waterways. Learn how our nation’s capital is taking innovative steps to restore the balance to the hydrologic cycle and go underground for a big solution for pollution. Produced by EarthEcho International. Following What Happens When We Build Cities will be a session for elementary age students: Loop Scoops (Animated Shorts) We live in a world of stuff. Loop Scoops videos challenge elementary-school students to evaluate the things in their lives and the impact their choices have on the environment. Where does it come from? What is it made of? What happens to it when I throw it away? Loop Scoops is produced by WGBH Educational Foundation. • JUICE BOXES (USA, 2010, 3 min.) When Brad learns that one billion juice boxes are thrown out every year, he decides to drink from a reusable water bottle instead. • ELECTRONIC GADGETS (USA, 2010, 2 min.) After Oliver discovers that the parts in his computer game are made of titanium, gold and mercury, came from 18 countries and traveled 228,000 miles, he decides to keep the one he has instead of buying a new one. • GARBAGE (USA, 2010, 2 min.) Oliver learns the importance of recycling. • HAPPINESS STORE (USA, 2010, 2 min.) Brad, Oliver and Clementine learn that less can be more. Following the film, there will be a facilitated discussion led by students enrolled in Montgomery College’s Teacher Education program. The session is coordinated and hosted by the Cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg. This session will be hosted twice: Once at 11:30am and again at 1:30pm The languages spoken by the instructors include: English, Spanish, French, Korean and Wolof. 1:30pm – 3:00pm: Growing Legacy: Documentary Film and Panel Discussion Growing Legacy is a short film showcasing the wonders of Montgomery County, Maryland’s Agricultural Reserve. Just 30 miles from downtown Washington DC lies 93,000 acres of farms, fields and forests. It has taken careful planning to keep small farms thriving on metro’s edge. Come meet some of the farmers and learn more about one of the nation’s most successful farm protection effort. A production of Montgomery Countryside Alliance- a nonprofit committed to promotion and protection of the Ag Reserve. Directed by Caroline Taylor and Mark Leisher. Produced by Pat Ratkowski and the Montgomery Countryside Alliance. Immediately following the film will be a panel discussion featuring stars of the film and farmers from the Agricultural Reserve.