Renewable energy fair offers green products, ideas

"Nature inspired yard landscaping" was just one of the topics presented at the second annual renewable energy fair Saturday at the Sugar Grove campus of Waubonsee Community College.

There were also presentations on renewable energy programs and policies, geothermal heat pumps and environmentally friendly home-cleaning products.

The fair featured nearly 30 exhibitors, including consumer groups like the Citizens Utility Board, as well as conservation and recycling groups. There were vendors who sell environmentally friendly products like locally grown wool or offer consultations on how best to design an eco-friendly bathroom or kitchen.

In short, those who attended could find out more about how to get green and stay green.

"I'm generally interested in environmentally friendly products and ideas," said Melissa Burlingame, 28, of DeKalb. She had stopped to buy recycled T-shirts made out of organic cotton and environmentally friendly dyes and inks.

"I wanted to expand my knowledge," she added. "For me, the best way to conserve is to re-use something. We bought an 85-year-old house and I came here to learn about planting native species in the yard, so I went to the landscape presentation. We're gradually making our house energy-efficient."

Burlingame is in a master's program in geography at Northern Illinois University and will write her thesis on open spaces in Kane County.

But Waubonsee Community College offers the fair free to anyone interested in finding out more about renewing and sustaining energy, no matter where they are on the learning curve.

"We want to promote a more earth-friendly environment," said Jamie Cox, a program developer in the community education department for Waubonsee Community College. "We have wetlands on our campus that we are preserving. We want everyone to know about the resources available to save money and to save the earth."