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Highlands Today

Green Building, Conservation Connection Set for March 6 And 7

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Coordinator of Keep Highlands County Beautiful Sherri Cooper will be providing information about cigarette litter, community cleanup, preventing litter, Adopt A Road program, illegal dumping, recycle trash fashion contest and more at the second annual Conservation Connection Day on March 7 at the Bert J. Harris Jr. Agricultural Center.

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: February 25, 2009

SEBRING - "Going green" has become a popular catch phrase. But what does it really mean?

Practical answers to that question, for children as well as adults, will be provided in back-to-back events on Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7, at the Bert J. Harris Jr. Agricultural Center.

The second annual Conservation Connection Day will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 7, sponsored by the Highlands Soil & Water Conservation District.

More than 20 county, state and non-profit agencies will be on hand with displays, giveaways and personnel to answer questions.

On March 6, "Think Green and LEED" runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sponsored by the Sustainability Committee of the Highlands County Extension office, this event provides a series of seminars for builders, developers, contractors and landscapers who want to know more about green building methods.

One of the featured speakers will be Blake Linville, a local builder accredited by the U.S. Green Building Council, who will explain the requirements and benefits of the council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards for residential and commercial buildings.

Conservation Connection will feature free hot dogs and refreshments and a special children's section with a bounce house, a giant slide, clowns and face painting.

Corine Burgess, natural resources specialist with the Soil & Water Conservation District, said the event will feature activities for children such as constructing picture frames with recycled paper, making a water cycle bracelet, and playing the "Environmental Wheel of Fortune" game.

"In this year's event, we are particularly catering to kids," Burgess said. "We feel so strongly that we need to reach out to our future generation and show them that they can do small things, every day things, like recycling and not literring, that make big differences.

"We want to show them how they can be better stewards of the environment."

Non-profit agencies at the festival will include Archbold Biological Station, Riverwoods Field Lab, Wrede's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Florida's Freshwater Frontier, the Ridge Rangers, Highlands County Lakes Association, and Highlands County 4-H.

Highlands Hammock State Park will have an exhibit, as will Keep Highlands County Beautiful, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the state's Division of Forestry and Department of Environmental Protection.

Both the South and Southwest Florida Water Management districts will have displays, with information on water conservation and growing Florida friendly lawns.

The Master Gardeners organization of the extension service will be passing out information, as will the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Burgess said Conservation Connection was launched to give people a better understanding of how their tax dollars are spent by government agencies dealing with the environment, and to promote an appreciation for conserving natural resources.

"We want people to understand how important our natural resources are and learn what they can do to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, when it comes to the environment," she said.

The March 6 "Think Green and LEED" seminars will feature presentations on energy efficiency, water efficiency, solar power, federal tax credits and rebates, indoor environmental quality, and building materials manufactured from renewable resources or with recycled content.

Highlands Today reporter Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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