The Eco-Olympics: Going for the Green

June 10, 2008

The L.A. County Fair is big on fun and deep-fried food, but we’re also proud of our educational element. There’s a reason why we call ourselves the World’s Largest Classroom! We offer education and entertainment for our own brand of “edu-tainment”! We’re also a Fair with a conscience, too. One of the attractions we’re pride of, and excited about, this year is Going Green – Making a World of Difference, presented by Mohr Power Solar Inc. Going Green is our eco-friendly exhibit that will feature displays, products and interactive activities for visitors of all ages.

 

Stepping inside Going Green will be like stepping into a lush rainforest with waterfalls and flowing plants. It will serve as the home to a 200-pound python, geckos, parrots and a sloth. I believe this may be the first time we’ve hosted a sloth. In the past we’ve had a zonkey (zebra-donkey hybrid) and last year a capybara (the world’s largest rodent), but never a sloth. The interactive exhibit, The Forest Journey, offers insight into the history of wood use throughout the world, and explores the relationship between forests and the use of trees while emphasizing the value of forest-friendly products. We’ll have an environmental magician, and Caring for the Land will offer important lessons in protecting California’s outdoor environment. Kids (and adults) will get to meet Smokey Bear, forest rangers, take a Tree ID quiz and go home with tree seedlings they can plant in their own backyard.

 

To go along with our Going Green theme, we thought we’d offer some simple tips, things that we can all do to save energy and help care for our world:

  • Turn off your computer when not in use (or use sleep mode)
  • Unplug electronics/appliances that aren’t in use
  • Use washable cloths instead of paper towels
  • Fix that drip!
  • Pack food in reusable plastic containers
  • Recyle, recycle, recycle!
  • Skip pesticides and use animals for bug eradication (install birdhouses to shelter birds who eat pests; put praying mantes and lady bugs in your garden to get rid of aphids)
  • Take shorter showers
  • Use reusable cloth grocery bags

 

These are all pretty effortless to do and don’t require any special equipment or tools. It is easy being green after all!

7 Comments

  1. I love the theme! Going Green is the right exhibit at the right time. I hope the fair can help spread the word to a large audience of potential conservationists.
    Here are a few more tips for your audience:
    Turn the water off while brushing or shaving.
    Use drip systems to water instead of sprinklers, and replace water-gobbling plants with native plants that use little water.
    After all, the state’s main area water agency has issued a “water alert,” the second of three steps toward water rationing, and every bit we can do to conserve now will make a difference later.
    Thanks, Blogster, for highlighting such a valuable program. It’s good to know the fair is on the forefront of such efforts.

  2. What a Great idea! My husband and I were just dicussing “Green” what better way to educate to such a large, large audience. And my kids will just love it! Their school(s) have been trying to raise awareness to recycle, along with tips to save water,electric, etc. They love, love those geckos!!! We are so excited, can hardly wait.
    Thanks for having something so special and important to our environment. Take a bow, Fairey.

  3. I posted something on the aloe cream – I have not gotten any reply from the fair, but I am hoping the fair will do something about this. They are lying to everyone that walks by and they tell them that they have an all organic cream and it is far from it. Their cream has PEG – polyethelene glycol – which is pretty far from organic. Very dishonest.

  4. I can find nothing on the website about actually going to the fair green. Where is the info about public transportation to the fair. Last year my son and I used Metrolink, which has a stop in the parking lot, and it was great. Detailed info should be on this site and also a discount to the fair should be given to anyone using any public transportation.

  5. Sure is buried. But then, why promote it when it is only stopping there on the weekends. Last year it stopped everyday the fair ran. So what’s up this year. Thought we were all suppose to pitch in by ‘going green’. This is BIG green, Metrolink, and you failed.

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