Come Together.

  Leaders, volunteers, students, advocates, cooks,
  gardeners, and greenies of all shades,
  Come share your ideas and work together.

The Fox Valley Conference on the Environment, Energy and Conservation

Saturday, February 20, 2010
9:00 am – 4:00 pm                                               
Batavia City Hall
100 North Island Avenue, Batavia

WHY?
• To meet other Fox River Valley environmental groups and volunteers so that we can help each other and work together more effectively in our missions,
• To hear experts in various fields so we become more knowledgeable,
• To find inspiration and motivation.

Bring your own coffee mug or reusable water bottle. 

Support the work of the Batavia High School and Rotolo Middle School Eco Clubs and please bring used cell phones, old ink cartridges and worn athletic shoes.
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WHAT?
A day of workshops and speakers which will bring us together.

9:00 am          Introduction and welcome
                       Morning Speaker – Why Change Is Necessary
                       Kay McKeen of SCARCE speaks on “Greening Up”

Kay is founder and executive director of SCARCE providing innovative environmental educational programs.  She is energetic, passionate, tireless, inspiring, KNOWLEDGABLE and just plain wonderful.  She was a recipient of the Governor’s Environmental Hero Award and was recognized by the Daily Herald as one of the Top 10 Environmentalists in DuPage County as a Conservation Champion.  Her list of accomplishments is pages long can be viewed here:  http://www.bookrescue.org/docs/UpdatedKayMcKeenBio.pdf. 

10:30 - 11:45  Morning Workshops with facilitators – CHOOSE ONE
                        Local Food –
                             Karen Stark, Geneva Green Market
                        Native Illinois Ecology – 
                             Valerie Blaine, Kane County Forest Preserve
                             Pam Otto, St. Charles Park District
                        Water Preservation and Conservation –
                             Karen Kosky, Kane County Watershed Engineer
                        Energy Conservation – 
                             Tom Carter, College of DuPage 
                              Tony Botkin, Intelligent Energy Solutions
                        The Economics of Green -
                               Doug Marsh, Marsh Products

Noon               Lunch Break

• bring brown bag or order sandwich at registration from Limestone Café ($4.50 cash only)
• guided hike through the Riverwalk led by Mary Zaander of Witness Tree Native Landscapes
• presentation of online home energy audit by Citizens Utility Board Rebecca Devens

1:00 pm          Afternoon Speaker – Avenues of Change
                       Sarah Wochos, Environmental Law and Policy Center

Sarah is a Policy Advocate and Government Relations Specialist promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy resources in Illinois.  In addition to lobbying state and local government, she has provided guidance and advice to Batavia and Geneva environmental volunteers.  She is a wonderful resource, accessible and ready to answer questions.

2:00 - 3:15      Afternoon Workshops with facilitators – CHOOSE ONE
                         Legislative Change – How to Influence Policy Makers
                             Janet Safanda, League of Women Voters
                         Behavioral Change Advocacy 
                             Prompting Ourselves and Others to Make the Change
                             Monica Jenkins, Jenkins & Assoc, member of GREEN Geneva
                         What Can I Do? –
                             Personal Change Opportunities and Volunteerism
                         Student Activism –
                             Laura Knezevic,  Illinois Student Environmental Council Director
                         Community Gardens, a workable project – 
                              Meg Humphrey, Batavia Environmental Commission
3:30                  Closing 

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WHO? 

You!

Please join us. 
Carpool or Bike. 

Bring your own mug or reusable water bottle … brown bag lunch if you like.   You may order a sandwich lunch from Limestone Café at registration that morning for $4.50 (cash only). 

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This is event is cosponsored by
Batavia Environmental Commission
City of Batavia
Geneva Natural Resource Committee
The Conservation Foundation
Batavians for Clean Energy and Conservation
GREEN Geneva
Geneva Green Market
Batavia Woman’s Club Conservation Department
The League of Women Voters of Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles
The Spiritual Green Connection
Healing Our Planet Earth of Fox Valley Presbyterian Church
Batavia Plain Dirt Gardeners
Unitarian Universalist Society of Geneva Green Sanctuary Committee
Northern Kane County Chapter of the Wild Ones
The Forest Preserve District of Kane County
St. Charles Park District
Kane County