Making Batavia greener, one change at a time
The Batavia Green Fair on the Fox challenges people to make one change in their daily lives to help produce a greener and more sustainable community.
People can share their changes at the ninth annual fair on Saturday, Aug. 13.
“What is one thing that you are going to change for a greener Batavia in 2016?” Green Fair Committee member Katie Weimer asked. “It doesn't have to be big. It can be one small thing dedicated to 2016 to change. We are challenging everyone in Batavia.”
Fair organizers and the Batavia Environmental Commission created Change One, a campaign encouraging local businesses, public officials and residents to make one change in their lives during 2016 to cause positive environmental changes in Batavia.
“One person's small change multiplied by a lot of people making small changes adds up to a really big positive change,” event Chairwoman Abby Beck said. “People seem really excited about it.”
At the fair on Saturday, Aug. 13, Geneva's School of Art will present a Change One tree in which fair participants can write the change they are making on a leaf and put it on the tree.
“It will be a great symbolic image of how we as the Batavia community can make a huge impact on climate change and sustainability. All of these small changes can make a big impact if everyone changes one little thing,” Weimer said.
This year's fair is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Batavia Riverwalk, Peg Bond Center and Batavia City Hall.
“It's really great, once a year in the summertime, to get, hopefully, everyone from around the Fox River area to come and learn more if they're not really into sustainability or to help celebrate sustainability if they are,” Weimer said.
Another campaign the fair is participating in is the Walk Your City campaign in which fair organizers have simply put up about 23 signs throughout the community telling pedestrians and bike riders how far away they are from certain locations such as the fair.
“Batavia is a pretty small place, so we are trying to capture pedestrians and bike riders making these trips and encourage people to use a more sustainable transportation,” Beck said.
A new demonstration booth will provide vendors an opportunity to share what they are doing with fair attendees, whether it's talking about preserving herbs, kayaking or meditation.
“In the past we've tried to have green talks, presenters and a stage for people to do longer explanations, and it's just hard in an environment and atmosphere like the fair to grab people from an expo area,” Beck said. “This is a test to see if popping a microphone in the center of the expo area is a good way to give an extra voice to the topics without interrupting the flow of the event.”
Also new to the fair is a bicycle swap, clothing swap and a tiny house.
“We are very excited to acquire (the tiny house). It's completely carbon neutral. People will be able to walk through it,” Weimer said, “It'll be a really great attraction for people to learn from and apply that to what they can do to their own home to be a little bit more green.”
People can also enjoy the live music from Greg Boerner and Ken Slauf, a free Zumba class, dance performances, martial arts demonstrations as well as kids crafts.
Admission is free. For information, visit greenfaironthefox.com.