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Environmental event to feature plastic tunnel, green options
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
It may have a different name, but organizers for the annual environmental fair in Southlake expect to have an even bigger turnout.
Green Fest, which had previously been called Southlake Green Day, will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 24 at Southlake Town Square. This is the fourth year for the event, which is sponsored by Green Fellows.
Last year's attendance reached 1,500 residents, and Audra Lewandowski of Texas Green Fellows said she expects around 2,000 this year.
One of the biggest attractions is expected to be the Sea 'N' Recycle display, a tunnel that has been created by 8,000 plastic bottles.
Built by Amy Romans of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, the traveling exhibit pays tribute to Plastiki, the 60-foot catamaran that sailed the Pacific Ocean between San Francisco and Sydney, Australia. The Plastiki was built out of 12,500 plastic bottles to illustrate what can be done with recycled bottles.
Lewandowski said the project shows how humans can prevent plastic from getting into the oceans, which can cause a gyre, or a ring-like system of ocean currents, of debris. It also shows how cluttered a small space can be surrounded by garbage.
"There are five gyres in our oceans, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is about the size of Texas," Lewandowski said. "So many things can happen that are horrible for sea life. If fish eat plastic and then we end up eating those fish, then we're eating that plastic. And it all stays together because of the Gulf Stream. It's the same as when we send plastic bottles to the landfill. People think that they disintegrate. But it doesn't. That stuff doesn't break down."
There have been multiple tunnels made, and one of them has been donated to the Carroll ISD.
"It's pretty neat to be in the tunnel to give you a feel for what the sea creatures have to go through," Lewandowski said.
Green Fest will include a variety of booths from companies and organizations promoting environmentally friendly living. Among those is Daylight Rangers, which will discuss solar tubes. Homes and businesses can capture sunlight through a tube to light a dark room in an energy-efficient way.
Other booths will include Batteries Plus, where residents can drop off old batteries and CFL light bulbs to be recycled. Rapid Refill will also be on hand to recycle old ink cartridges.
Lewandowski said there will probably be 30-40 vendors or organizations to discuss their products or services, all of which aim to make things more environmentally friendly.
In addition, there will be an effort to get children involved. Students in kindergarten through the sixth grade can bring empty juice pouches to the event, and for every 10 pouches they donate, they receive one ticket for a raffle drawing for an Apple iPad. Later, there will be a scavenger hunt in which students go to various booths and answer environmental questions. Correct answers will also enter them in a drawing for an iPad.
The event will also have live entertainment. Expected to perform are Top Flight Gymnastics, a fourth- and fifth-grade show choir, the performing arts group Ohlook! and local music group Sofie & David.
Organizers hope by the end of the day, more people will be aware of green alternatives.
"We are consumers in general," Lewandowski said, "whether it's a car, a toothbrush or carpet. This event spotlights green alternatives for all those things and shows how to create more energy efficient homes and businesses."
Contact info@texasgreenfest.com for information.
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