Rockin' the Environment at Eco-Fest 2011

The damp, cool weather didn't stop Fairfield County residents from attending Club Green's Eco-Fest 2011 at Westport's Levitt Pavilion, proving that rain is just as much a part of the environment as sunshine.

Several local businesses and organizations were on hand on Saturday, June 11 to provide attendees with information on how to make easy, meaningful and earth-friendly changes to their lives. 

Club Green's motto is "Everyday Environmental Awareness." The club was started at Westport's Staples High School in 2005.

Eco-Fest 2011 featured an impressive list of sponsors, including the , an "Emerald Green" sponsor. GVI has recently put forward a in Weston, which has been embroiled in a years-long dispute over its use.

In 2009, GVI leased the Wakeman property on Cross Highway in Westport from the town for $1 per year with unanimous support from community leadership. It has since become the Wakeman Town Farm, and supports and promotes "local food" ideals.

GVI hopes to accomplish a similar goal in Weston, according to member Dan Levinson, who is spearheading GVI's discussion with Weston town leadership.

The crowd at Saturday's event featured the young, old, and in-between, with many there not only to learn about environmental awareness but also to see local bands, soak up the chill atmosphere and "reflect" on the environment, according to Club Green's website.

Three bands — Borrowed Glory, Chillingsworth and the Interstellar Elevators — played on the stage, among several other acts. Fifteen bands played between 12 and 5 p.m.

"It's great to see the band up on a real stage," commented Weston parent Ian Swanson, whose son Cameron plays in Borrowed Glory. "The sound is great, and they looked really relaxed."

The stage also hosted a skit that debunked common myths about what is recyclable and what isn't. For example, phone books cannot be recycled through home pickup but must be brought to the transfer station.

Cereal boxes are recyclable, but plastic bags are not; they get caught in recycling machinery and must be thrown out. 

The Town of Westport recently disallowed the use of plastic bags, and will begin "single stream recycling" on July 1, according to an announcement made during the afternoon.

With single stream recycling, Westport residents will no longer have to separate plastic from glass, but will instead be able to combine all recyclables into one bag. 

Unfortunately, nature has its own way of damaging the environment. A seemingly-innocuous transport of firewood from home to campsite can inadvertently spread non-native, "introduced" insects such as the emerald ash borer, Asian longhorned beetle, and the Sirex woodwasp, which have the potential to kill thousands upon thousands of trees.

To avoid spreading these deadly insects, residents should always use firewood at home from local sources. If traveling with firewood, burning all of it before departing a campsite ensures that larvae residing inside the wood won't survive, and spread.