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2009 Sustainable Living Festival & Clean Energy Expo Workshop Descriptions Advanced Building Envelope Technology Traves Ogilvie Learn the principles behind energy efficiency and conservation and the latest advancements in green technology through this unique green building demo. With buildings using 37% of all energy produced in this country the old approach to building design and construction will no longer suffice. The 2x wood framed cavity wall was introduced in 1834 and has remained largely unchanged. It’s time for change and this workshop will demonstrate the solution: kama Energy Efficient Building Systems (kama-EEBS), the most thermally responsible building system on the market today.
Traves W. Ogilvie, AIBD, LEED AP, is a LEED AP and a continuing education (CE) provider with the American Institute of Building Design based in Washington DC. Locally he is the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) with the Lightship Group, a 26 year old technology based firm located in North Kingstown, RI.
Another Shade of Green: Protecting People’s Health in the School Environment Molly Clark & Liberty Goodwin A “green” school goes beyond energy issues to include healthy indoor air quality (IAQ), cleaning & grounds care. “Green” means better student test scores & fewer asthma episodes for kids and staff. Students, parents and community members are invited to participate in bringing this vision to life - get the new “Good Green Schools Guide” for transitioning to green cleaning & pesticide free playing fields, and share it with school decision-makers.
Molly Clark has been working on environmental health issues for the American Lung Association in DC and RI for over 30 years. She is currently active with the RI Asthma Coalition, Collaboration for High Performance Schools, and other groups working for healthier schools.
Liberty Goodwin is the Director of TIP (Toxics Information Project) and has been researching, writing & speaking about healthier alternatives to toxics in everyday life since 2002. Resource materials she has edited and published include the Less Toxic Landscaping Resource Directory, Healthy Holidays Handbook and the new Good Green Schools Guide.
Being Locavore Jim Merkel Are you tired of eating food that is cardboard tasting, monoculture grown, pesticide doused, zapped and wrapped, sits in a warehouse and then gets shipped across a continent to you? For the year 2007, the New Oxford American Dictionary chose locavore; a person who seeks out locally produced food, as its word of the year with good reason. Coast to coast people have begun savoring foods grown close to home that are fresh, seasonal, fairly traded and organic. Jim Merkel will offer a workshop focused upon growing, purchasing, preserving and storing foods for a year-round supply.
Jim Merkel is an American author, volunteer, and engineer that moved from involvement in the military industry to pioneering in simplicity. His book, Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth offers a path to deeply sustainable way of living respectful of all life. His recent work helped Dartmouth College earn high grades on the Sustainability Report Card issued by the Sustainable Endowments Institute. Jim founded the Global Living Project and currently writes, lectures and consults with campuses and municipalities on sustainability initiatives. His loves include gathering wild edibles, being in the wilds, playing bass and digging potatoes.
Bicycle Commuting 101 Jack Madden Do you wonder how to make your bicycle fill your transportation needs? Would you like to leave your car in the driveway 2 or 3 days a week and discover a new way to get where you need to go? This workshop will address the basics of bicycle commuting including tips to make your bicycle more commuter friendly, techniques to make the transition from bike to desk more streamlined, and tricks to selecting the most efficient route from home to wherever.
Jack Madden is the owner of Legend Bicycle (since December 2008) and former partner in The Hub (2004-2008). He is a registered Professional Engineer (PE-Civil) with RI, a founding member of Providence Bicycle Coalition, long time bike commuter and advocate for better public support for transportation-cycling.
Carbon Consciousness and Lifestyle Change Daniel Greenberg It is becoming increasingly clear that individuals and communities will need to be at the core of any lasting solution to peak oil and climate change. We need to move beyond "carbon neutrality", which typically involves paying someone else to offset our impacts, towards "carbon consciousness" which puts each of us at the center of this global transition to a post-oil planet. Come explore ways to personally measure, reduce and offset your own carbon footprints through an online tool being developed to allow individuals and groups to commit to and track lifestyle changes that result in a reduction in CO2.
Daniel Greenberg, Ph.D. has studied and directed community-based educational programs for over 20 years. He wrote his thesis on children and education in community, and later spent a year at Findhorn in Scotland working with children and families there. He is founder and Executive Director of Living Routes, which develops accredited ecovillage-based education programs that promote sustainability. He lives at the Sirius Community in Shutesbury, Massachusetts USA with his wife, Monique and their two daughters, Simone and Pema.
Composting Toilets, Graywater Systems & Eco Waste Water Solutions Carol Steinfeld See an overview of ecological ways to cycle the nutrients, water and even energy in wastewater and discuss local possibilities.
Carol Steinfeld is author of The Composting Toilet System Book, Reusing the Resource: Adventures in Ecological Wastewater Recycling and Liquid Gold: The Lore & Logic of Using Urine to Grow Plants.
Creating Community Gardens The Moonlight Garden Project Cognizant of the threat posed to agriculture by resource depletion and global heating, we will examine the ways in which community gardens establish resilience in our localities and help ensure our food security. We will explore some of the various ways a group of concerned citizens can form a community garden and speak about the specific issues that we have had to deal with at Moonlight Garden in Southern RI.
Abel Collins is an activist and writer who lives in Matunuck, RI at the site of Moonlight Garden, a farm that he helped to start in 2005. He is a consultant and participant in the community garden there which utilizes sustainable agricultural practices to produce organic vegetables.
Amber Kelley teaches preschool at a small nature-based school in West Kingston. She farms in the summer and is a consultant/participant at Moonlight Garden in Matunuck.
Eat Your Weeds Karen Talbot Have you seen the free supermarket at the roadside, in "empty" lots, and right in your own backyard? Walk with Karen to discover the health benefits of wild plants, and sample food and drink made from Mother Earth's bounty.
Karen Talbot has been an herbalist for over twenty years and leads weed walks for individuals, groups, and schools. Her love of the wild plant kingdom has included classes in cooking, cosmetics, and herbal healing using plants found in the backyard and beyond.
Eco-House Tour Bradley Grove Hyson The Apeiron Institute’s Center for Sustainable Living is one of RI’s first and most environmentally designed buildings. It features over 50 environmental building technologies, systems and products and uses a fraction of the energy of a typical home its size. Constructed by over 2,000 volunteers and 120 businesses, the center has served as a catalyst for the green buildings movement in Rhode Island.
Bradley Grove Hyson is the founder and director of the Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living. He has led hundreds of tours of the eco-house, which also incorporate his knowledge of environmental issues, ecological building, and his vision for global sustainability.
Ecovillages as Campuses for Sustainability Education Daniel Greenberg From appropriate technologies to holistic health; from sustainable agriculture to group facilitation, ecovillages are integrating solutions within human-scale communities and creating new cultures and "stories" in which we can live well - and lightly. This workshop will provide an introduction to the growing ecovillage movement worldwide (e.g., Findhorn, Scotland; Auroville, India; and Sirius, MA) and explore how ecovillages provide ideal “campuses” in which to learn about sustainable living.
Daniel Greenberg, Ph.D. has studied and directed community-based educational programs for over 20 years. He wrote his thesis on children and education in community, and later spent a year at Findhorn in Scotland working with children and families there. He is founder and Executive Director of Living Routes, which develops accredited ecovillage-based education programs that promote sustainability. He lives at the Sirius Community in Shutesbury, Massachusetts USA with his wife, Monique and their two daughters, Simone and Pema.
The Enchanted Children’s Forest
Build a Nature Sculpture Marcy Gregoire Collect treasures from nature and create an original sculpture using clay, wire, glue, etc. Display your creations for others to see!
Marcy Gregoire, founder and proud member of Under the Tree Music Company, has a huge passion for the planet. Her work with the young and old continues to make a lasting impact through teaching, performing and co-creating with music, art, and nature. She has co-written and produced over a dozen Earth-minded musicals, is co-writing a book to help connect kids with nature, and is just now finishing up her interactive and educational CD, Sapling, for children to Love Up the Earth.
Stand-Up Chameleon Jackson Gillman magically transforms himself into a wide array of colorful characters. Through his many talents as songsmith, comic, mime and storyteller, he engages and delights audiences of all ages. Much of his educational repertoire reflects his ecology background from the College of the Atlantic.
Nature Mobiles Marcy Gregoire Collect treasures from nature and create an original mobile. Display your creations for others to see!
Under the Tree Music Company Performance Under the Tree Music Company This is your chance to perform your new songs and use your new musical instrument skills!
Under the Tree Music Company is a collection of artists, musicians, teachers, performers, and children young and old, creating art and music, and sharing it with the world. Our Music/Art/Nature playshops and performances have one common thread: Earth respect.
Fun Fast Green Cleaning Leslie Reichert Want to start “going green” when it comes to cleaning? Not sure exactly where or how to begin? This workshop will give you great tips and tricks to make your cleaning green and fun.
Leslie Reichert is a green cleaning coach with over 20 years experience in the cleaning and air quality business. She holds classes at her store, Backdoor Vacuums and Homekeeping, in Uxbridge, MA.
Fun with Fuel Cells Ross McCurdy This is a fun introduction to fuel cell technology that is suitable for anyone able to tie their own shoes. Using hands-on lab kits, participants will use solar panels to produce hydrogen from water and then use this hydrogen to power fuel cells and produce electricity. The fuel cell electricity will then be used to power a small motor and run a tiny light bulb. This workshop will clearly demonstrate the sustainability potential of hydrogen fuel cells.
Ross McCurdy is a science teacher at Ponaganset High School and an advocate of fuel cells and other alternative/renewable energy. With the help of students and other dedicated people, Ross created Protium, the world’s first fuel cell powered band and is working on integrating a fuel cell into a battery-electric street legal Model T hot rod!
Grow Where You Are Planted: Using the Internet to Care for our Environment Susan Korté Are you part of what’s growing on in Rhode Island? Do you wish you could keep up better with environmental news and activities? Get an overview of Rhode Island’s environmental information landscape in this workshop. Find out about the hundreds of environmental groups in our state and learn how to use online tools to monitor the issues and topics that interest you most WITHOUT adding to your information overload. Survey the amazing range of environmental opportunities so you can get out there, enjoy Little Rhody, and take care of our great state.
Susan Korté, in previous lives, has been a teacher, editor, indexer, and corporate librarian. She is now a RI Tree Steward, a Master Gardener, and managing editor of both the blog, Providential Gardener (www.ProvidentialGardener.com), and also of the online Calendar, What Grows On in Rhode Island (www.WhatGrowsOnRI.com), providing comprehensive environmental information services for Rhode Island.
Introduction to Renewable Energy Dan Cartier This workshop focuses on explaining renewable sources and the benefits they bring. Solar electricity, wood pellet, hydro, biodiesel, solar thermal, fuel cells, wind energy, wave power and green power will all be discussed. Photos of real world projects from Rhode Island and around the world will be presented.
Dan Cartier is a Mechanical Engineer educated at URI with a Certification in Energy Management. Dan has worked with renewable energy systems for over twenty years. Currently Dan is working for the Chariho Regional School District as Director of Building and Grounds and consults on renewable energy systems as well.
Keeping Your Home Safe from Environmental Hazards Al Snyder & Maryellen Snyder Our homes are a castle, a protected space, where we don’t want to be unknowingly exposed to harmful environmental hazards. This workshop looks at some hazards that are not the result of our lifestyle choices, but rather due to nature, forces or actions beyond our control. We will identify typical sources of contamination in the air, drinking water and soil, and discuss actions to keep our homes as that protected space.
Al Snyder is the president and founder of Environmental Resource Associates, Inc., an environmental consulting engineering firm located in Greenville, RI. As a registered professional chemical engineer, Al has 33 years’ experience with environmental contamination in the air, water and ground caused by both natural and man-made activities.
Maryellen Snyder was born an active earth avenger and has been working at the Apeiron Institute as a naturalist, educator, organizer, coordinator, designer, trainer and administrator for 5 years.
Make a Peace Flag & Send Positive Wishes to the World Ginny Fox Children and grown ups will create a set of flags from 5 pieces of fabric, paints, markers, collage and string. Taking our inspiration from Tibetan Prayer Flags we will meditate to connect to our wishes and gratitude and then bring the peaceful world into being as we decorate our flags.
Ginny Fox is a peace activist, writer and editor. She also runs craft shows, after school programs, organized school events, and teaches peace wherever she can.
Materials Used for Environmentally Sound Green Playgrounds John LaRue In 2001 the public use of CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) came to public light and a public outcry ensued. Recent research conducted by the Healthy Building Network regarding PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) has also created much concern. The Playground Equipment industry is quickly jumping on the band-wagon by utilizing recycled materials and so called “green” methods. This seminar will examine the concerns related to PVC, the use of CCA and appropriately preserved wood, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified lumber, use of recycled steel/plastics and instances of “green-washing” in an attempt to decipher the facts and make sense of all the arguments.
John LaRue is a Representative for the KOMPAN/BigToys Playground Company. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Therapeutic Recreation (Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist), is a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) and is a Registered Provider for the American Society of Landscape Architects as a CEU Instructor.
Personal Approaches to Sustainability Rebekah Greenwald Looking for ways to lower your ecological footprint and have fun at the same time? Looking for help with decision making on tough choices like “paper or plastic?” “disposable or cloth?” and “to eat or not to eat (meat, rice, eggs, pineapples, fish, you name it...)?” Well look no further, this is the workshop for you. A few rules of thumb mixed with common sense and actual data collected from you about you for you, will help you map out the road ahead for you. It’s really all about you!
Renewable Energy Options for Home or Business Omay Elphick & Ben Swanson This workshop will open your eyes to ways in which solar thermal, photovoltaic and wind applications can be aesthetically integrated into your home or business design. Alteris case studies will emphasize environmentally friendly guidelines for construction projects that utilize renewable energy systems.
Omay Elphick is the Commercial Sales Director at Alteris Renewables (formerly SolarWrights) where he provides guidance to companies and nonprofit organizations on the design, engineering and financing of onsite renewable installations. Recent positions include serving as Deputy Director at People’s Power and as a Policy Analyst at Save the Bay. He has over ten years of experience working with various nonprofit organizations in education, fund raising, strategic partnering and strategic business planning. Before moving to Rhode Island, Omay was a Senior Analyst and Nonprofit Consultant at a private branding and business-consulting firm in Boulder, Colorado. He has a BA in Economics and a MBA in Marketing Strategy.
Ben Swanson is the Rhode Island Sales Manager at Alteris Renewables (formerly SolarWrights), working with homeowners and small businesses to identify the most cost-effective and reliable renewable energy systems to meet their energy needs. Ben joined the company as an installer and apprentice electrician prior to moving into the system design and sales role, participating in the construction of solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind turbine systems. He has a BS in Geology and Oceanography from URI, and worked previously on several classic wooden charter sailboats based in Newport and as a Ski Patroller in Vermont.
Retrofitting with Renewables & Energy Saving Ideas Dan Cartier After this workshop, the average home owner will be able to map out a plan that will allow them to live a fossil free life. It will cover available energy saving options, renewable energy systems that can be installed in the typical home, as well as green fuels locally available for cars or trucks.
Dan Cartier is a Mechanical Engineer educated at URI with a Certification in Energy Management. Dan has worked with renewable energy systems for over twenty years. Currently Dan is working for the Chariho Regional School District as Director of Building and Grounds and consults on renewable energy systems as well.
The RI Energy Star Homes Program Jon Dember The workshop is a general overview of the Energy Star Homes program, which helps people build high levels of comfort, indoor air quality, and energy efficiency into their new homes. It is also the first step for any green certification. A variety of incentives are available to help an owner or builder certify their home as an Energy Star Home, which is nationally recognized for representing greater value, lower operating cost, increased durability, comfort, and safety. The outline includes information on the program background, goals, procedures, benefits package, technical support, and technical standards. Additionally, the LEED for Homes certification program will be touched on, as well as the Earth Advantage certification program, both provided by Conservation Services Group.
Jon Dember is an Outreach Support Specialist for the Energy Star Homes program in New England, covering Rhode Island, Eastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. He has worked as a housing inspector for rent subsidy programs, both for Rhode Island Housing Corp., and previously in Upstate New York for a community action program. From 1997-2000 he was a co-organizer of the CoopPlus of the Finger Lakes, a renewable energy member co-op.
The Story of Corn: Getting to the Roots of Immigration Susan Letendre This workshop traces the modern history of corn on a route from the US, into Mexico, and back again to illuminate the roots of current immigration. The teaching is interspersed with stories told to Susan by poor farmers, and stories of her experiences in Chiapas, Mexico, and working in Jaurez.
Susan Letendre, CGBP, is a fair trade importer, storyteller, and sustainable living coach. She spends time with the Maya in Guatemala and Mexico, and in the US, educates individuals, groups, and the public on environmental issues, immigration, just consuming, and living in harmony with fellow humans and the rest of nature.
Striving for Sustainability: Holistic Home Design and Creation Erin & Jim Malloy This workshop will explore the social, environmental and economic benefits of thoughtful and heart-full home design and food cultivation using our off-grid earthen home as an LIVING model.
Erin and Jim designed and built, as well as led hundreds of volunteers in the creation of their earthen home in North Central Vermont. They live comfortably in their inexpensive; energy efficient; wind, solar & wood-powered cob home surrounded by a fruit orchard.
Sustainable Living, One House at a Time Cindy Saksena A retired Family & Consumer Sciences teacher describes the process of selecting and rehabbing an ordinary house with a view to environmental sustainability and affordability over the longer term and a desire to “age in place.”
Cindy Saksena received a graduate degree from Simmons College in Boston. She taught Home Economics and Family & Consumer Sciences at middle school through college levels in Massachusetts, India and Rhode Island. She volunteers with CREW (Committee for Renewable Energy in Warren), Sustainable Warren and Rhode Island Interfaith Power & Light. Her house has been on NESEA’s National Solar Homes Tour for 2 years.
Sustainable Teens, Sustainable Future Rebekah Greenwald As anyone working with teens knows, they get it way faster than you, they see where the solutions lie, and the easy road to get us there. Well, isn’t it great they aren’t jaded yet? Isn’t it great, ala words from that dead dude Mark Twain, they will figure out how much smarter we are soon? Um, not really. Maybe we should, like, listen more, cause they are, like, inheriting the world. So, if you come to this workshop thingy, you could totally hear what they care about and what they have to say, and they are like so awesome. You might think in a new way too, even though it’s hard cause your brain is like already mylenated and stuff. So, if you are a teen, or you work with teens, this will be a teen led conversation about sustainability, the future of the world and what we can/should/could/would do for our planet.
Rebekah Greenwald is the Executive Director of the RiverzEdge Arts Project in Woonsocket, RI and worked at Apeiron from 2002-2008. In addition to working with teens, Greenwald keeps her sense of humor by raising 3 children, performing improv comedy any time she can elbow her way in, and speaking foreign languages whether she knows them or not. She also avidly seeks to level the economic playing field for diverse communities in all that she does as part of a lifelong commitment to Earth.
Thermosiphoning Hot Water Heater for Solar Showers Dan Warren Make an outside solar shower for summer use maximizing recycled, reused and found materials from your everyday life. Passive thermosiphoning design requires no energy for water circulation. Simply connect a hose, fill the system, and wait for the sun!
Dan Warren was a carpenter in the 70s and 80s, specializing in solar and energy efficient home construction methods, including an underground solar home. He was an electronics engineer, working in commercial and industrial product manufacturing and design in the 90s and has most recently worked with architectural reproductions, repair, weatherization, and as a woodworker.
Today’s Sustainable Biodiesel in RI Jim Malloy, Nat Harris & Craig Emerson We will explore the local sustainable “cradle to cradle” model of the R.I. Sustainable Biodiesel movement with a focus on local collection, production and distribution. This clean and efficient transportation and home-heating fuel is available TODAY in Rhode Island.
Nat Harris is the production manager of Newport Biodiesel, focused on the continued development of a biodiesel processing plant creating local, sustainable fuel for Rhode Island and the surround areas.
Craig Emerson is T.H. Malloy’s service manager and a homeowner using 100% renewables with a self-installed solar hot water system. He was the first Rhode Islander to use 100% biodiesel for home heat.
Jim Malloy is the operations manager of T.H. Malloy Biofuels and has been distributing biodiesel in R.I. for four years. Jim is also the co-creator of a fossil fuel-free; wind, solar, wood-powered; mortgage-free; efficient, affordable, earthen Home nestled in amongst an orchard and gardens.
Fire by Friction New England Trackers Learn the basics of traditional fire making and see what rubbing two sticks together can teach you about survival in the wilderness and civilization. We will gather materials from the landscape, build a low-smoke fire structure, and "bust out a coal" with a bow drill.
Shelter Building New England Trackers Would you know how to survive a cold and rainy night when lost in the woods? Come take a lesson from the squirrels and learn to make a simple shelter with natural materials and no tools that will keep you alive and dry even in cold and wet weather.
New England Trackers is dedicated to sharing wilderness and survival-related knowledge, and organizing gathering places and "dirt time" sessions for those in the New England area.
Tim Kowalik has been studying primitive skills and awareness in the aboriginal traditions taught by Tom Brown, Jr. He has taught awareness and basic survival skills at the Apeiron Institute for Environmental Living, the Bioneers by the Bay Conference, at schools and to home-school groups. Tim is on the Board of the Children of the Earth Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Tom Brown, Jr. to guide youth and community to a pure connectiion with the Earth. He is also a founding member of New England Trackers.
Paulinka de Rochemont, born and raised a city girl, has a deep love for wild places and nature. Now a student of Tom Brown Jr., a member of the New England Trackers and a resident of the woods of West Greenwich, RI, she helps make the world a better place by caretaking.
Ellen Bidlack finds that practicing primitive skills is a good way to connect more deeply with the environment and learn new things about the natural world. Ellen attended Tom Brown, Jr.'s school in New Jersey, and helped to form New England Trackers in 2002.
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The Apeiron Institute for Sustainable Living | 17 Gordon Avenue, Suite 207 | Providence, RI 02905 | 401-228-7930 • info@apeiron.org