Living Lightly Fair Returns to Minnetrista

Living Lightly at Minnetrista, a FREE resource fair for sustainable lifestyles, will take place Saturday, September 19 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with free admission and free parking.

For the third year in a row, Living Lightly will offer practical tips for greener living, alternative energy, recycling and healthier environments. The fair features workshops, numerous presentations covering a variety of sustainable topics, children’s activities, local food, musical entertainment, a green market place and much more!

The keynote speaker will be Mike McGrath, host of National Public Radios’s weekly radio show You Bet Your Garden. His keynote presentation, “The Seven Secrets of Successful Organic Gardeners,” will share the secrets that every good organic gardener should know including easy-to-learn tips, feeding soil, adding beneficial life to your garden, and more. The presentation will take place inside Minnetrista in the Indiana Room from 10 a.m. – 11: 15 a.m.

For more information, visit livinglightlyfair.org or minnetrista.net.

Living Lightly Workshops

Workshop: "Wind and Solar Power for the Home"
by Eric Cotton
Saturday, Sept. 19, 8 - 9:50 a.m.
Inside Minnetrista, Cantina

This introduction to renewable energy for the home will begin with a presentation on the basic components of solar and wind electric systems.

Participants will learn about site evaluation, planning, and introductory system design. The group will then be able to work hands-on with small wind turbines and solar panels – testing voltages and currents and looking at components to see how they go into complete systems.

The workshop will end after a Q & A session. The first 25 registrants will receive digital multi-meters for voltage testing and other uses.

Eric Cotton has been using renewable energy to live since 2005. A partner with ECI Wind and Solar (Fairmount), Eric has been working in Indiana to bring clean renewable energy to Hoosiers. He is a founding member of the Indiana Renewable Energy Association, which is an Indiana non-profit dedicated to educating Hoosiers on renewable energy.

Workshop: "How to Reduce Your Home Heating Bills: Separating Fact from Fiction"
by Dr. Bill Hill
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2:30 – 4 p.m.
Inside Minnetrista, Cantina

Want to reduce your home heating bill? Put away the caulk gun, forget the weather-stripping, don't drop the ceiling, and by all means-don't invest in replacement windows. Research has shown that none of these means will significantly reduce heating and cooling costs.

Learn what does work and why it is impossible to diagnose any building without the proper tools. You'll also get to look at the tools that building scientists use to trace the paths by which tiny air pressure differences move energy and moisture through a house.

Dr. Bill Hill began his energy career in the early 1970s, building and promoting solar energy systems. He has been working to make homes more energy-efficient ever since, and along the way he and his colleagues across the country have become very proficient at making homes not just more efficient in their use of energy, but more durable and comfortable as well. Bill now heads his own consulting firm, W. W. Hill & Associates, specializing in building science, building diagnostics, and the training of weatherization professionals.

Both workshops are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is preferred but not required! To register call (765) 213-3549.

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Located along historic White River, Minnetrista includes 40 acres of beautiful gardens and grounds, a modern museum facility, an historic home, Nature Area, numerous sculptures, and a portion of the Cardinal Greenway. Minnetrista serves East Central Indiana with dynamic community activities and exhibits that honor and reflect its natural and cultural heritage. For more information about Minnetrista, visit www.minnetrista.net



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