Come hear our local experts and active community members speak about a variety of green topics. Each workshop is 20 - 30 minutes long, and will include opportunities to ask questions. Times and details of the workshops are subject to change up until the day of the event. Click here to download a handy, printable schedule of the festival's event  11:45am: Green Residential Retrofitting & Remodeling - Presenter: David Arkin of the Planning & Zoning Commission Planning & Zoning commissioner and award-winning local green architect David Arkin will outline the top energy retrofits for Albany homes, discuss the City's Residential Design Guidelines and Green Building Ordinance, and illustrate these with before and after photos of real Albany projects. If you're considering renovating or adding on to your Albany home, or just want to know what's the best 'bang for your buck', this session's for you. 12:20pm: Free Advice on How To Go Energy Efficient &Solar - Presenter: SmartSolar (nonprofit serving Albany) Are
you interested inmaking your home or business more energy efficient and
self-sufficient? Would you like more information about solar
technologies before talking to a contractor? SmartSolar is here to
help! We offer free, independent, site-specific analysis of solar and
energy efficiency opportunities. Our workshop will help you demystify
solar and energy efficiency investments by providing you with unbiased,
consumer-friendly information and advice on the basics of solar
technologies and project planning, including a discussion on current
and upcoming financing and rebates programs for energy efficiency and
solar projects.
1:00pm: Sustainable Landscaping - Presenter: Suzanne Schrift of the Sustainability Committee Suzanne Schrift, Sustainability Committee member and professional landscape architect will discuss ways that you can manage your landscape sustainably. Drawing on many years of experience as an organic nursery owner and organic farmer and gardener, she’ll provide tips for increasing the health of your soil and plants. She’ll talk about ways to integrate edibles into the landscape along with drought tolerant plants, while reducing pollution, sequestering carbon, increasing biodiversity and creating habitat in the garden. 2:00pm:
Building Community Resilience, the Best Preparation for an Uncertain
Future - Presenter: Transition Albany An introduction to Transition Towns and Transition Albany. Albany is the 59th official U.S. Transition Town! Transition Albany invites all of Albany to create a positive transition from fossil fuel dependency to vital, engaged, resilient, and interdependent community. Catherine Sutton will be presenting the principles of Transition Towns, with updates from her recent visit to some of the original Transition Towns in England. 2:30pm: Greening Albany Schools Panel (to be confirmed), perspectives from teachers, students, and administration A
panel representing various perspectives of the schools' greening
activities will provide a brief update and engage in a discussion with
the audience around the exciting new developments in AUSD, including
the state of sustainable practices in school operations, the state of
"green" curriculum, the proposed or in-progress green developments, and
why Albany schools are ahead of the game. |