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For release: August 19, 2013
Contact: Pamela McCurdy, 651-757-2559
What’s New at the Eco Experience this year?
St. Paul, Minn. -- The Eco Experience at the 2013 Minnesota State Fair will be filled with many new displays and interactive activities for fair goers of all ages. The Eco Experience is the largest event of its kind and this year’s additions provide something for everyone.
Home: Students from the University of Minnesota’s College of Design have created a Gen Y Eco Home, specific to the needs and wants of their generation. The house pairs their research of Generation Y lifestyles with their knowledge of sustainable design. In addition, display rooms throughout the Eco Experience will showcase reused, recycled and Minnesota-made interior design and finishes, including a bathroom from Natural Built Home and a reuse room from ReUSE Minnesota. Learn how to save energy and money at the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s home energy exhibits of an energy-efficient kitchen, laundry room, living room, and basement. Compare thermostats and light bulbs to see which works best for your home. Plus, you can see Minnesota-made and high-efficiency equipment for solar, wind, heating and cooling and learn where to find solar and wind resources around the state.
Outdoors: Agriculture, water conservation and protection, and community-building come together in the design of our lawns and landscapes. Field Outdoor Spaces has filled The Eco Experience building’s front lawn with hanging gutter gardens, straw bale gardens, an unoccupied bee hive and space to gather with friends. Field Outdoor Spaces will have daily presentations at noon on landscaping and gardening. Inside the building, we’ll have a large, stylized tree swing to take photos with while you learn about how you can help slow and adapt to climate change by planting urban trees.
Food: Our local food exhibit will feature Farm to School programs this year, including updates on Farm to School champion schools. Learn how schools are providing fresh, healthy food to their students. See cooking demonstrations of farm to school recipes by representatives from Bemidji Public Schools Food Service, St. Paul Public Schools, and Hopkins Schools Nutrition and Lifestyle Services.
Water: Minnesota has some of the best drinking water in the country, but it has to be protected. At a new exhibit by the Minnesota Department of Health, learn where our drinking water comes from, the differences between public and private supplies, and what you can do to keep drinking water clean. Then, dive into watersheds at a 20-foot floor map of the Washington-Ramsey Watershed District. You'll learn how watersheds work and what local residents are doing to protect water quality.
Recycling: Almost 3.6 million aluminum cans are thrown away each day in Minnesota, even though they are 100 percent recyclable. Fair goers will be surprised to learn that less than 40 percent of aluminum cans are recycled. Our display of thousands of cans will teach you why it is important to recycle. We will also have a comprehensive plastics display explaining what can be recycled in various Minnesota cities. Recycling experts will be on hand to answer your questions.
Presentations: Our Sustainability Stage will feature environmental experts and community leaders presenting solutions and tips for your life. Some highlights include Erin Rupp from Beez Kneez showcasing honey bees and pollinators, Elizabeth Ries from KSTP-TV discussing her Home to Homestead Project, and a representative from Growing Lots Urban Farm explaining how to farm on a small lot in the city. We will also have films featuring Farm to School programs playing each evening. Plus, the Youth Voice of Change: Climate Change Youth Video Competition will present awards during a screening of the top 10 films.
Manufacturing: The era of single-use and toxic materials is on the way out. The University of Minnesota Center for Sustainable Polymers will explain how green chemistry and engineering are reducing toxicity and waste in manufacturing.
About the Eco Experience: A partnership between the Minnesota State Fair, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and over 120 organizations and businesses from across the state, the Eco Experience has become the second most popular exhibit at the fair. It is the largest environmental event of its kind, nationally, in the last two decades. Since 2006, more than 2.5 million visitors have attended the 25,000-square-foot exhibit to learn more about clean air and water, saving energy, climate change, recycling, healthy local food, transportation, green building and remodeling, and other ways to lead more eco-friendly lives. The Eco-Experience is in the Progress Center building at the corners of Randall and Cosgrove. More information is available at http://www.ecoexperience.org.
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