advertisement

Being green doesn’t have to be boring, Batavia says

Learning how to live a minimally polluting, health-improving, fossil-fuel-saving life doesn’t have to be a dry, boring affair, figure the folks behind Saturday’s Batavia Green Walk.

While participants are passionate about their causes, they also want you to have a good time at their event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the Riverwalk and the Batavia Government Center.

“It is about health and action and getting people moving and community-building,” said Dianne Peterson, a member of the Batavia Environmental Commission and one of the speakers for the Green Walk.

It used to be held on Friday nights in conjunction with a monthly art walk, That event is no more, and green walk organizers decided maybe they would get more interest if they had it on a Saturday, Peterson said.

Although her talk is titled “Plastic Bottles, Community and You,” Peterson intends to use it to explain to people how taking one small step can lead to something bigger. Her ecological activism started with making people aware of the waste resulting from using disposable water bottles. She now also campaigns for encouraging kids to bicycle or walk to school, and is lobbying legislators to require food manufacturers to list on labels whether the products were made with any genetically modified ingredients.

“You can do the smallest thing, and truly be an activist,” she said.

That could be bringing your own plate and cutlery to sample the vegan food at one of the booths Saturday, she said.

The Green Walk will tie in with the weekly farmers market on North River Street, which is staying open an hour later for the event. There will be art activities; music; tai chi, yoga and dance classes; kayaking; exhibits by health practitioners; a family bike ride; an artisans’ exhibit; and vendors of environmentally friendly items.

The green walk is organized by Batavia MainStreet, the Batavia Park District, the Batavia Environmental Commission and the city of Batavia.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.