Educational Workshops
Explore Stitching Circles—A Road to Repurposing
This year's lineup of workshops will include...
10:00 – 10:45 a.m. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO LIVE GREEN? – Kathryn Ziewitz Room #511.
Living green means conserving energy and water, recycling, and taking steps to shrink our ecological impact. But it also means tapping our creativity to increase the health and resilience of our communities. This workshop will provide an overview of sustainability principles, a group visioning and brainstorming session, and a time for participants to begin their own sustainability plan. Ms. Ziewitz works for the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service to help Florida communities become more sustainable. She is an environmental science educator who co-authored The Green Empire: the St. Joe Company and the remaking of Florida’s Panhandle (2004). She holds degrees from the University of Florida and the University of Minnesota and is a PhD student in geography at Florida State University.
10:00 – 10:45 a.m. THE IMPACT OF OUR CONSUMPTION AROUND THE WORLD - Dr. Samiri Hernandez Hiraldo Room #509.
Participants will explore the implications of our level of consumption, our dependence on foreign labor and resources, and the impact of the global economy on the health, environment and socio-economic conditions in various parts of the world. A resident of Wakulla County, Dr. Hernandez Hiraldo holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Michigan and has taught at the college level, including two years at Florida State University.
10:00 – 10:45 a.m. HARVESTING RAINWATER AND NEW IRRIGATION METHODS – Scott Jackson and Carrie Stevenson. Learn the various techniques of collecting rainwater and establishing irrigation systems to save water in your home and landscape. Scott Jackson is the Wakulla County Extension Director and Carrie Stevenson is an Escambia County Extension Agent. Workshop will be held outdoors.
10:00 – 11:45 a.m. ORGANIC GARDENING - Jack Simmons Room #507.
Growing food is something many people are learning to do for the first time. This workshop will teach home gardeners the principles and techniques of growing vegetables and fruits without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers. Mr. Simmons owns and operates Crescent Moon Organic Farm in Sopchoppy, Florida and makes his living as an organic farmer.
11:00 – 11:45 a.m. GREEN JOBS; WHAT AND WHERE ARE THEY? Kimberly Moore Room #511.
Florida’s Agency for Workforce Innovation is charged with helping Floridians find jobs. Representatives from the agency will give participants information on both the state and the local job markets, training available from Tallahassee Community College, and tips for job-seekers. Ms. Moore is the Chief Executive Officer of Workforce Plus and the current president of the Wakulla County Chamber of Commerce.
11:00 – 11:45 a.m. BE THE SOLUTION TO POINTLESS PERSONAL POLLUTION Eric Livingston Room #509.
The primary sources of water pollution in Florida are storm water runoff and septic tanks. This workshop will describe what non-point source pollution is and how it affects the ground and surface waters in Wakulla County. Participants will learn how everyday activities can either generate pointless pollution or contribute to the solution. Presenter Eric Livingston is a Wakulla County resident and biologist who currently serves as program administrator of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Storm water Section.
11:00 – 11:30 a.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL – 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club Outdoors.
Learn how to save water in your home and landscape by building your own 35 gallon rain barrel with instructions and materials provided. Work one-on-one with a 4-H member who will assist you in completing the project. Cost is $35.00, which covers all materials. Participation is limited to five people. The workshop will be repeated at 11:30, 1:00 and 1:30. Sign up for this workshop at the Expo registration desk.
11:00 – 11:45 a.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL – Jeannie Brodhead Outdoors.
Twenty participants will make a 45-50 gallon rain barrel in this hands-on workshop, which includes instruction and all materials. Cost is $35.00. Register at the Expo registration desk. Jeannie Brodhead is a retired librarian who currently serves as president of the Iris Garden Club. A Master Gardener, she participates in many gardening activities in the area.
11:30 a.m. - 12:00p.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL – 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club Outdoors.
$35.00 fee. Register at Expo registration desk. Limited to five participants.
12:00 – 12:45 p.m. WATER, ENERGY, AND LAND DEVELOPMENT IN FLORIDA – Dr. Pierce Jones
The Expo’s keynote speaker, Dr. Jones is a professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida. He directs the Program for Resource Efficient Communities, which promotes green design, construction and management practices in residential development. His presentation will illustrate the steep cost of Florida’s rapid growth and steadily increasing demands on energy, water and land. He will discuss how Florida’s residential growth patterns can be modified to make more efficient use of water, energy and natural resources. To accommodate a larger audience, the keynote address will be held in the cafetorium.
1:00 – 1:30 p.m. . MAKING A RAIN BARREL – 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club Outdoors.
$35.00 fee. Sign up at Expo registration desk. Limited to five participants.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. HOW TO RECYCLE EVERYTHING – Nancy Paul Room 507.
Information on how and where to recycle almost everything, and what to do with what’s left will be the topic covered in this workshop. Nancy Paul has served as the recycling coordinator for both Leon County and the City of Tallahassee, and is now general manager of Marpan, Inc., the state’s only permitted Class III Material Recovery Facility. Marpan recycles 65% of the material delivered to its Tallahassee facility, including mattresses, cardboard, metals and “urban wood”.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. HYDROPONIC GARDENING – Ken Gambill Room #509.
Detailed information on a number of hydroponic growing systems that can be constructed and managed by the homeowner to grow vegetables, herbs and other plants will be provided workshop participants. Construction techniques and procedures to maintain optimum growth environments will be demonstrated. Ken Gambill is a mechanical engineer who also holds a master’s degree in Instructional Technology and has grown hydroponic herbs commercially.
1:00 – 1:45 p.m. LEARNING ABOUT ELECTRIC BIKES – Andy Reich Outdoor workshop.
Electric bicycles are an efficient and inexpensive transportation option. Learn about different types of pre-built electric bikes as well as conversion bikes, their motors, batteries and how the components are selected to build a bike for the individual’s transportation needs. Andy Reich is an importer who has owned and operated Falcon EV, a Tallahassee business that sells and services electric bikes and electric scooters.
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. MAKING A RAIN BARREL – 4-H Junior Master Gardeners Club Outdoors.
$35.00 fee. Sign up at Expo registration desk. Limited to five participants.
1:00 – 2:45 p.m. STITCHING CIRCLE: A Road to Re-purposing – Shelley Swenson and Kathryn Gibson Room 511.
$5.00 fee. Sign up at Expo registration desk.
Join a group of Do-It-Yourselfers in activities to unleash and nurture your creativity. Recycled fabric and embellishment techniques will be used to make a stylish market bag to replace the plastic bags that clog our landfill. Consider this an opportunity to share the ancient tradition of sewing circles. Parents and their children are welcome! Participants must be 13 years or older, and are encouraged to bring sewing scissors and examples of refashioned clothing, quilts or embellishments they would like to share. Shelley Swenson is the Wakulla County Family and Consumer Sciences agent and Kathryn Gibson is a lifetime environmentalist and art therapist who seeks creative expression in all areas of life.
2:00 – 2:45 p.m. SOLAR HOT WATER HEATING – Joe King Room 507.
Learn the history of solar water heating, how it works, what types of products are available on the market today, and how to select the most appropriate product for your home. Joe King has 25 years of experience in the construction industry, and has specialized in solar hot water heating installation for Premium Solar, Inc. of Tallahassee for the past four years.
2:00 – 2:45 p.m. MAKING YOUR OWN COMPOST – Ed Oaksford Room #509.
Learn how to compost your household food waste to enrich your garden and keep this natural material from streams and landfills. See the steps of the process, the simple tools and equipment needed and discover how beneficial compost is to the environment. Ed Oaksford is a retired geologist and home gardener who is currently enrolled in the University of Florida’s “Bee College”.
2:00 – 2:45 a.m. LANDSCAPING WITH NATIVE PLANTS – Betsey Smith to be held outdoors.
Explore the richness of our natural heritage while learning to design and care for a landscape that uses some of our finest native plants. Betsey Smith is a Wakulla County native who holds a degree in horticulture from the University of Florida. She has 14 years of experience in the nursery industry and currently works with Just Fruits and Exotics Nursery in Medart.
3:00 –3:45 p.m. SOLAR ENERGY FOR THE HOME – Michael Mastry Room #511.
Solar panel design, cost, location, installation and maintenance will be topics of this workshop. Points for the homeowner to consider when thinking about solar energy for the home will also be discussed. Michael Mastry represents Pro-Solar, a Tallahassee solar energy company that sells, installs and services solar collectors.
3:00- 3:45 p.m. HOW TO CONDUCT YOUR OWN HOME ENERGY AUDIT – Robin Dias and Doug Dender Room #507.
Find out what a home energy audit is, why they are conducted and what value they have to the homeowner. The presenters will share ideas and techniques for resolving the most common areas of energy waste found by energy audits. Robin Dias has eight years of experience conducting home energy audits. He and Doug Dender have established Gray Services and MHI, Inc. specializing in energy efficiency for buildings and mobile homes.
3:00 – 3:45 p.m. HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL – Eric Poland Room #509.
Participants will learn ways to decrease their energy consumption, including effective home improvements and behavior changes. Information will also be provided on how our lifestyle choices affect our electrical usage. Eric Poland is a Construction Engineer with experience in the construction industry who currently is employed as a home energy auditor by Progress Energy.
3:00 – 3:45 p.m. SIMPLE WAYS TO CREATE A GREEN AND HEALTHY HOME – Reenie Rogers
A healthy home supports a healthy body. Going room by room, this workshop will explore simple, affordable ways to create greener and healthier living spaces. Participants will make a safe, non-toxic, earth-friendly cleanser to take home. Ms. Rogers is a green living consultant who has conducted numerous workshops and individual consultations designed to help others detoxify their homes and lives. This workshop will be held outdoors.