“Growing Greener Together”

On Wednesday, April 22, 2009 Poultney High School will once again be the site for the Poultney Earth Fair.  This annual Earth Day celebration will be bigger and better and will run from 2:30 to 6:00 PM.

This year’s program features participatory activities for kids and adults, free food, interactive displays, lots of handouts and a raffle—all with a greening focus on the environment.

Live music will be provided throughout the event by the local talent of the Old Time Folk Ensemble and Spruce Knob Uprising.

Poultney High School students will select local seasonal toppings for fresh pizzas that will be baked in the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s (NOFA) portable oven.  The pizzas and  a variety of other regional food will be provided free of charge to all hungry comers.

The Fair’s theme, “Growing Greener Together,” highlights collaborations of all kinds to encourage students to build lasting community partnerships that integrate green ideas into everyday life.

Working together are student groups from Poultney Elementary, Poultney High School and Green Mountain College; and town organizations such as the Poultney Artists Guild, teachers and residents.

While last year’s “Affordable Green” theme introduced options for individuals to green their lives and save money, this year’s Fair is focused on creating collaborations that integrate green ideas into everyday life, while building lasting community relationships.

Examples of these projects are:

• Natural teas and salves made by the PES Nature Club with GMC’s Herbal Tribe
• The Slow Food Club at GMC  partnering with the PHS Food Club will prepare delicious maple treats using maple syrup from Green’s Sugarhouse
• Poultney Elementary School and Green Mountain College’s Herbal Tribe are creating herbal teas and salves
• The Poultney Area Artists’ Guild is working with PES students on large puzzle pieces to create an interlocking nature display
• The DREAM program and PES students will make natural bird feeders

Some of the nearly 40 activities and displays include:

• A laser hunting simulation by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Hunter Education program
• Music from Nature created with found natural “instruments”
• Tie-dying your own T-shirt
• Run a bicycle- powered blender to create a delicious smoothie
• Tree seedlings for sale by the Champlain Valley Restoration Nursery
• Making hat and costume creations for GMC’s  “Running of the Bulls” parade down Poultney’s Main Street (Saturday, April 25)

In addition to students, teachers, schools, community groups, and businesses, many other  groups from all over Vermont will participate this year: Vermont’s Farm to School Program (VT FEED), the Poultney-Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District (PMNRCD), Rutland Area Farm and Food Link, Merck Forrest and Farmland Center, Rutland Solid Waste District,  the 4H Club, and many others.

One of the primary goals of “Growing Greener Together” is to encourage students and adults to initiate projects and partnerships that will lead the town of Poultney into a greener future.

Everyone will discover that there are many environmental and human resources available to them…from their community, from around Vermont, and from each other.