Going Green is Going Strong This Year
Record numbers turn out for annual fair

If 2008 is the year to be thinking green, this past weekend's fifth annual Green Earth Fair was the place to be doing it.

The yearly festival is hosted by the Green Earth Institute. The organization leases the farm land at the McDonald Farm, owned by The Conservation Foundation. The Conservation Foundation stewards some 200-acre expanse of fields, houses and barns in south Naperville. The event drew 1,900 visitors for the environmental awareness event at the McDonald Farm. In May of 2007, over 1,300 people attended the Green Earth Fair.

Many exhibitors spread over the grounds for Sunday's fair expanded the
virtues of simple acts that can help slow environmental degradation, ranging
from chemical-free yard care and home composting, to seeking out food grown
nearby and opting out of junk mail, to corralling rainwater and baking with
a solar oven.

Organic vegetable seedlings and native prairie plants were available for
purchase. Children's activities included soil exploration, seed planting,
and making musical instruments from recycled materials. A variety of
musicians performed throughout the afternoon.

New this year will be a live raptor display presented by Spring Brook Nature
Center in Itasca. Over 50 exhibitors will showcase their earth-friendly
products and services.

The presentations included:

* Global Warming: Dr. Richard Treptow's

* Natural Approaches to AD/HD: Philippa Norman, M.D. and Kathy Gere,
L.C.S.W.

* The EnviroLink Committee of the City of Naperville: inside the
recycling plant of Resource Management

* Organic Lawn Care: Expert Bill Sheffler.

* Organic Home Gardening :Vicki Nowicki

* Natural Landscaping: Denise Sandoval

* Developments in green materials for the home: David Gulyas

NCTV17's Jennie Barger Reports.