"Upcoming green happenings" by Greenpoint

Upcoming events of interest to Greenpoint readers:

Learn about native plants

Laurel Tormey Cole “Backyard Habitat Specialist” will be giving a presentation on the “Importance and Beauty of our Native Plants” 7 p.m. this evening (Wednesday Sept. 24) in the Community Room at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

Tormey Cole has planted and worked with native plants for more than a decade and also works at the Thacher Nature Center in Albany County. The talk and slide presentation will include information about Native perennials and shrubs for suburban and rural yards.

This program is one in a series organized by the Saratoga Environmental Study Group to learn more about environmental issues. It is free and open to the public. The next program, on Thursday, Oct. 30, will be a panel presentation about recycling.

For more information or to get on our email list, contact Marian 587-3847.

Save green

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie County is offering a program entitled “Save Energy, Save Dollars” from 10 a.m. to noon, and from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Please register in advance by calling (518) 234-4303 or (518) 296-8310.

The workshop will also be offered again from 10 a.m. to noon, and from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

For more information please contact Marilyn Janiczek at Cornell Cooperative Extension at (518) 234-4303 or (518) 296.8310.

A walk in the woods

VOORHEESVILLE — Thacher Park will host a Walk in the Woods on Thursday, Sept.
25. Participants meet at the Paint Mine Picnic shelter parking lot at 9 a.m.

Weekly walks in the woods are scheduled every Thursday morning throughout the summer. The walks will begin at 9 a.m. and will last until approximately 11 a.m. All walks are easy to moderate.

Participants may wish to bring a snack, beverage, sunscreen and insect repellent. In the event of inclement weather, the walks will be rescheduled to the following Friday, from 9 a.m.–11 a.m. Call the park office at (518) 872-1237 for further details.

Build green

Learn about building with green construction materials and practices at the Green Material Expo, held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Atrium (between 3rd and 4th Streets on Broadway) in Troy. It’s free and open to the public.

The one-day exposition is focused on environmentally-friendly building materials and energy systems. Over 30 vendors will display, discuss and, in some cases, provide hands-on demonstrations of their green building products and services.

Throughout the day, lectures featuring environmentally friendly solutions for homes will be provided for free to all attendees. Topics will include how to keep green construction costs low, application of healthy finishes and use of green cleaning products, installation of solar systems, use of energy rating systems for homes, how to lower heating costs and better control of indoor comfort, etc.

For a full list of topics and the exact presenting time for each lecture, please visit www.greenmaterialexpo.com. The Green Building Expo is sponsored by the Eastern New York State Chapter of the American Institute of Architects - Committee on the Environment.
Contact: For more information, contact Dragana Vlatkovic at 518-280-8992 or at the AIA ENY offices, 518-720-3030.

Wildlife and energy expo

NORTH BLENHEIM — The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will combine free family fun with money-saving ideas at this year’s Wildlife Festival and Energy Expo, being held at the admission-free visitors center at the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Power Project from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27.

Now in its 23rd year, the Wildlife Festival will again feature a variety of live animal exhibits, along with entertainment, arts and crafts, educational presentations and children’s activities. The complementary Energy Expo, first held in 2006, continues to grow in size and significance as more than two dozen vendors offer information and services to help businesses and homeowners reduce their energy costs.

“Autumn is a beautiful time of year at Blenheim-Gilboa, but it also serves to remind us that winter is not far behind,” said Lynn Hait, NYPA’s regional manager for Central New York. “While our Wildlife Festival is fun for the whole family, anyone concerned with rising heating costs should find some practical solutions at our Energy Expo.”

There will be a variety of attractions at the Wildlife Festival, including raptors, alpacas and invertebrates, plus musicians, storytellers and a circus comedy show. At the Energy Expo, information will be available from local businesses and governmental organizations that can work to help consumers lower their energy bills while conserving natural resources. They will include the U.S. Green Building Council, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, Renewable Power Systems and Elot Recycling. A hybrid-electric vehicle will be on display.

Food vendors will have a variety of items available for sale, including hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecued chicken and homemade pies. The Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center, housed in a 19th-century dairy barn on the power project grounds, is filled with hands-on exhibits that
demonstrate the basics of electricity and provide a look at how the power project operates. Also on site is Historic Lansing Manor, a country estate built in 1819 that is now operated as a museum.

NYPA’s Blenheim-Gilboa visitors center is 17 miles south of Middleburgh on Route 30, 50 miles southwest of Albany. To learn more, call 800-724-0309 or visit www.nypa.gov.