Earth Day Fair--a great success!

Montgomery Township's Earth Day Fair was a lot of fun, thanks to a lot of work from the Environmental Commission, the Sustainable Montgomery Committee, some dedicated Township employees, our sponsors, and a wide variety of volunteers. Thank you! Estimates are that around a thousand people attended.

I had a table for the Native Plant Society of New Jersey (see photo) and enjoyed hearing and (usually) answering a lot of questions about native plants. I also spoke briefly about my experience with a home energy audit under New Jersey's Home Performance with Energy Star program (see my post of Thursday, January 14, 2010), and otherwise never even got a chance to leave my table. But I heard the live music and the children and saw the crowds across the room. I hope everyone who attended learned something about the environment and about Montgomery.

I also got rid of the items I brought to Freecycle, which is incredibly good news for my attic! The Boys and Girls Club of Trenton collected about 100 bicycles, and they were very pleased.

If you missed the Earth Day Fair, or loved it so much that you wish there was another one, there is a Sustainable Hillsborough Family Fair on Saturday, May 1st from 1:00 to 5:00 at their Municipal Complex. I will be there for the Native Plant Society of NJ with Dr. Hubert Ling, the naturalist from NPSNJ, who has great recommendations for urban trees. Montgomery and Hillsborough may be rivals in football, but we are partners in sustainability!

Earth Day Fair

The Environmental Commission and Sustainable Montgomery Committee are pleased to announce the fifth annual Earth Day Fair on Sunday, April 25th from 12 to 4 pm at Montgomery High School on Route 601. This year's theme is Earth Day, Every Day: how we can incorporate green practices into our everyday lives.

There will be many exhibitors representing a variety of environmental organizations and non-profit and commercial enterprises with goods, services and information that address our environment and quality of life (I will have a table for the Native Plant Society of NJ). There will also be several expert speakers offering information on a range of topics such as the NJ Clean Energy program including rebate and home audit information (I'll tell the experience of a homeowner who has gone through the process), simple things you can do to keep the air in your house clean, organic lawns and gardens, and how to pick the right plant for the right spot by Toni Cox.

There will also be several recycling opportunities not usually available. Johnson and Johnson Consumer Companies will be sponsoring free computer recycling (for Montgomery residents only). The Boys and Girls Club of Trenton will be collecting used bicycles of all sizes to support the Boys and Girls Club Bike Exchange Program. Nassau Racquet and Tennis Club will be collecting used tennis racquets for the Montgomery Special Olympics program. Used printer cartridges, cell phones, eyeglasses and batteries will also be collected.

New this year will be a "FREECYCLE" event, where you can drop off items you no longer need and go home with "new" items--all for FREE! This is a great way to recycle and to reuse. Please do not bring items that are larger or heavier than one person can comfortably carry. You may bring photos of such items and include contact info to make arrangements for pick-up by interested persons.

There's even more! Three bands will be playing over the course of the afternoon: Jersey Junket Cajun Band, Mountain View Jam, and Acoustic Road. For the kids, Garbanzo the Clown will perform, a professional story teller will tell exciting stories for all ages, and creative crafts can be made from recycled items. Finally, there will be giveaways and plenty of food for all.

"The Earth Day Fair in Montgomery has become an increasingly important event for environmental education, so much so, that it was one of the reasons that Montgomery received certification in 2009 from the statewide Sustainable Jersey initiative," said Montgomery Township Committeeman Brad Fay, who is the liaison to the Environmental Commission. "I encourage everyone to come spend time learning about the local environment while also enjoying good food, good music, and good friends."

In addition to the Montgomery Township Environmental Commission and Sustainable Montgomery, this year's Earth Day Fair is sponsored by ConvaTec, Green with Envy Home Store, Environmental Liability Corporation, Hilton Realty Company, Robinson's Candies and Rocky Hill Cleaners.

The fair will be held indoors and outdoors, rain or shine. For more info, contact Lauren Wasilsuski, EC Secretary, at lwasilauski@twp. montgomery.nj.us or 908-359-8211 or email the Earth Day Fair Planning Committee at earthdayfair@gmail.com.

Speaker Schedule:
12:15 - 12:45 pm Organic Lawns by Verdant Lawn Care
1:00 -1:45 pm NJ Clean Energy --Home Audit and Rebate Information
2:00 - 2:30 pm Organic Vegetable Gardening by Truly Home Grown
2:30 - 3:00 pm Hunger and Home Gardens by AmpleHarvest
3:00 - 3:30 pm Pick the Right Plant by Toni Cox
3:30 - 4:00 pm Clean your Indoor Air! by Green with Envy

Kids Entertainment Schedule:
12:30 - 12:45 pm Storyteller
1:00 - 1:15 pm Storyteller
1:15 - 2:15 pm Clown
2:15 - 2:30 pm Storyteller

Live Music Schedule:
12:15 - 1:15 pm Jersey Junket Cajun Band
1:30 - 2:30 pm Acoustic Road
2:45 - 3:45 pm Mountain View Jam