Backyard Chickens
Is keeping chickens right for you? What it takes to raise and care for backyard chickens? Come to this presentation to find out and learn tips for successfully raising chickens in your own backyard!
—Katy Mike Smaistrla
Don’t Demolish, DECONSTRUCT!
The presentation will cover the three B's of deconstruction: basics, benefits, and barriers. We will also discuss some creative ways to repurpose commonly discarded building materials.
—Eric Schwarz, Refab St. Louis
Do You Know Your Home’s IAQ?
Learn how to create a healthier indoor environment for your home or office. See samples of and learn where to source where to source fabrics, carpet & flooring, paint, hard surface materials and even bedding that will contribute to improved indoor air quality (IAQ) and help reduce allergy and asthma symptoms.
—Diane Rosen, Diane Rosen Interiors LLC
Fill It Up With Natural Gas
The phrase "fill it up with natural gas" may just be "down the road." Interest in alternative fueled vehicles offering lower fuel cost and lower emissions is increasing. Natural gas is abundant and is projected to be for years to come and it's domestically produced. What's more, technologies are being developed that will allow you to fuel from home. This workshop will showcase a home refueling system for natural gas vehicles.
—Jim Travis, Laclede Gas Company
The Honey Bee & Products From Their Hives
Learn some fun and interesting facts about the honey bee from the way they communicate, how they make their honey and what products can be made from their hives.
—Corinne Collins, Corrine’s Honey Farm
Preserve the Harvest: Make Living Foods!
Learn about basic vegetable fermentation and how to make your own pro-biotic living delicacies, from sauerkraut to kimchi to crock pickles.
—Rachel Levi, EarthDance
RainScaping
Rain gardening and water conservation coupled with the use of native plants and choosing the right plant for the conditions of the landscape help homeowners live more in harmony with their natural ecosystem. This presentation will help spark their creativity in following this principle.
—Cindy Gilberg, Deer Creek Watershed Alliance
Reconnect with Nature in Your Own Back Yard
Landscaping for nature—or landscaping for life—in urban spaces of all kinds can make a real difference for at-risk plants and animals, ecosystem services and our own well-being. Reconnect with nature in your own landscape. Share that experience with others. Watch your life change.
—Mitch Leachman, St. Louis Audubon Society
Solar Shingles Have Arrived
While solar panels remain the most popular choice for outfitting existing homes for solar electricity, many are turning to the new solar shingles. This workshop will highlight Building-Integrated Photovoltaics, which allow the roofing material to turn sunlight into electricity in the same manner that a solar panel does.
—Dan Shannon, Microgrid Solar
Tips to Save Money on Heating + Cooling Costs
Learn how you can save money by maintaining your current heating and cooling system—from regular maintenance tips and the proper usage of programmable thermostats to options related to humidifiers and replacement of equipment when its time comes. You're sure to take home something you can implement in your own home!
—Jason Orsega, JT Dunn Heating + Cooling
Why Solar? Why Now?
The Ameren Missouri solar rebate is decreasing at the end of 2013, so now is the time to pursue solar for your home or business. Learn how to determine if your home or business if a good site for solar, how much electricity a solar electric system would produce, the financial and environmental benefits of an installation and what questions you should ask a solar installer.
—Mike Hornitschek, StraightUp Solar
Worm Composting at Home
Can worms really turn your garbage into black gold? Learn everything you need to know to start composting with worms at home!
—Matt Lebon, EarthDance