CONSHOHOCKEN — Conshohocken Environmental Advisory Council Chair Domenic Rocco promises way more than “a bunch of people standing behind tables handing out pamphlets about the environment” at EAC’s April 27 Conshy GreenFest, set for 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at Mary Wood Park (rain date is Sunday, April 28).
To that end, organizers’ nod to late April’s “Earth Week” will include exhibitors whose specialties run the gamut from electric cars and cutting-edge hydrogen cell vehicles (“on display car show-style with hoods popped and people there to answer questions”) to successful gardening and composting.
PAR Recycling will man an e-waste collection station (“for old laptops, phones, computer towers but no TVs or monitors or batteries”), and REI will offer test rides on e-bikes and tips for environmentally-friendly camping.
Yes, there will be pamphlets that focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness. But, says Rocco, a PA Department of Environmental Protection staffer, he and fellow GreenFest volunteers hope to interest people in issues like global warming and climate change by engaging them with interactive and hands-on learning opportunities focused on “saving green by going green.”
“When I first got involved with the EAC, I thought, everyone knows about all the important environmental issues we’re facing these days, so they’ll listen to what we have to say,” he says. “But that’s just not the case. We’ve learned we have to do a lot more education, and that’s not something that’s going to happen overnight.
“Over the years, we’ve tried to do different types of workshops for environmental education, but they weren’t very heavily attended. So, we thought, why don’t we have a bigger event once a year (and) handle a multitude of different subjects. Make it family-friendly and get the entire community involved, including the youth, who are the future stewards of the environment. Make it something that’s informative and fun. We did that for the first time last year, and we’re trying to make it even bigger and better this year.”
Ultimately, Rocco hopes GreenFest becomes one of the borough’s signature events.
“The EAC has sponsored a number of events over the years — tree-planting, spring and fall clean-ups — and we’ve participated in events such as Funfest and the Arts festival,” he says. “We’re hoping GreenFest can turn into the town’s springtime event.
“The big thing is, we need to engage people. Meet them where they are. For example, we really struggled with how we could get kids involved. Having them stand behind a table for three or four hours just isn’t realistic, so we came up with the idea of an environment-themed art contest with prizes for the winners. We worked with teachers at Conshohocken Elementary School, and from what I’m hearing, the kids are really excited about coming to GreenFest and seeing their work on display. The parents are going to help hang the art, which is great.
“The students in [Plymouth Whitemarsh High School’s] International Baccalaureate program are strongly involved, too. They were involved last year, and they’re going to have three different activities this year. They’ve been terrific to work with.
“Yoga Home is another great partner. They did yoga sessions for kids at GreenFest last year, and they’re going to offer them again this year.”
According to Rocco, Conshohocken Community Garden members are also “a big part of GreenFest.”
“They’ve been engaged with us from the beginning, and they’re a real breath of fresh air,” he says. “They’re actually like a sister organization to EAC. They’ll be sharing information about things like the ecological benefits of native plants, about gardening and locally-sourced food in general.”
Rocco calls Conshohocken Free Library “another great partner.” CFL recently initiated a seed catalog program and will be handing out free vegetable seeds and seed starter kits.
“The whole thing is really a team effort, including the support we’ve had from IKEA, REI, Cencora and several other local businesses and organizations,” Rocco concludes.
EAC’s volunteer board also includes Co-Chair Tim Beckel, Rich Kosich, Bob Molony, Mia Barbaro, Justin Claffey and Gerhart Arndt.
Mary Wood Park is located at Sixth Avenue and Harry Street, adjacent to Conshohocken’s Fellowship House. Additional information about Conshy GreenFest 2024 is posted on Facebook.
