Celebrate Earth Day early during environmental fair
By Mark Battista CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Inspiration can happen in the most unlikely of places. "The idea of an environmental fair came to me while taking a shower," says Pam Cooper of the Anti-Litter Program with Chesterfield County.

The "seed" for the environmental fair was planted in 2002 when the county launched the Environmental Management System (EMS). "The EMS is a tool that county departments and divisions use to analyze, control and reduce impacts on the environment while achieving greater operational efficiency on how programs and services are delivered," explains Cooper.

"One of the requirements of EMS certification is a public outreach project. I came up with the idea of combining all county departments' events into one educational outreach to celebrate our earth. Combining the departments' environmental efforts is a huge statement of Chesterfield's commitment of being responsible protectors of the environment, and it saves money by having one event versus several."

And so the Chesterfield County Environmental Fair was born.

This year's Third Annual Environmental Fair will be celebrated on Sat., Apr. 19, at the Chesterfield Towne Center, in preparation for Earth Day the following week. It will showcase the environmental successes of 40 vendors and provide tips on living green. The fair's indoor venue is scheduled from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. while an outdoor venue will take place from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Chesterfield County Anti-Litter Program and Chesterfield's Office of Environmental Management.

The fair will have something for everyone. County residents can dispose of unwanted electronics during an eCycling event in the outdoor venue by Sears Tire America. The Central Virginia Waste Management Authority will recycle some parts of the electronics and then properly dispose of any dangerous heavy metals that could possibly contaminate soil and water. A nominal fee will be charged to recycle some electronics. For more information, visit www.cvwma.com.

Also in the outdoor venue will be a rain barrel workshop sponsored by the county's Department of Environmental Engineering, James River Soil and Water Conservation District, Friends of Chesterfield Riverfront and Chesterfield Cooperative Extension. A $20 fee covers materials and guidance in constructing a 55-gallon rain barrel.

Rain barrels are simple containers used to catch rain runoff from your roof. Susan Edwards, environmental educator with the Chesterfield Cooperative Extension, points out, "Rain barrels are a cost-effective way to reuse water for watering plants and for washing cars, and they reduce runoff from nonpoint source pollution into steams." A roof with a 40-foot x 20-foot surface area receiving one inch of rain can collect 500 gallons of water.

To register for the rain barrel workshop, individuals should call 751-4401.

The fair's indoor venue will showcase a variety of private and public vendors. The Virginia Sustainable Building Network, which promotes environmentally-sound building practices, will give out free compact fluorescent light bulbs to visitors. The Anti-Litter Program will give away reusable bags to the first 500 people. According to Denise Smith, marketing manager for Chesterfield Towne Center, two booths will display environmentallysensitive products sold by the mall's stores, including clothing, appliances and even cosmetics.

Entertainment will also be included in the mix. The James River High School Orchestra will perform from noon until 1 p.m. followed by the Meadowbrook Guitar Ensemble. Both performances will be held at the Center Court.

Loopy the Clown will roam the Center Court from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. entertaining and educating youth. "He will be giving away clown noses and earth balls," says Cooper.

Your inspiration for Earth Day may not happen in the shower, but it just may happen at the Chesterfield County Environmental Fair.