Green Solutions Expo April 22

Live music and an "open mic," as well as displays from green vendors and organizations throughout the region will be featured at the third annual Green Solutions Expo, scheduled for April 22 in Galesburg. Invited participants include alternative energy producers; companies with eco-friendly products and innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle waste; environmental artists; and government agencies.

"This year we will have live music by Knox College faculty, and an open microphone for those who want to share poems or thoughts on the environment," said Knox psychology professor Tim Kasser, one of the event organizers and a member of Knox's campus-wide committee on sustainability.

The free, public expo, held annually to promote ecological sustainability and celebrate Earth Day, will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday, April 22, in T. Fleming Fieldhouse at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois.

Green Solutions Expo was the idea of a small group of concerned citizens from Knox and Warren counties who were interested in helping local citizens learn how to be eco-friendly in west central Illinois. The Expo also highlights the work already being done in the area by companies and organizations trying to reduce their impact on the environment and who are developing products and processes to help others decrease their environmental impact.

Past Expos have included displays of miniature wind turbines, electric cars and scooters, products made from recycled materials; information from government agencies, educational institutions, alternative energy producers, and businesses that market eco-friendly products and innovative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Last year's Expo drew more than 40 exhibitors and 400 visitors at Western Illinois University.

The Expo rotates among various host sites in the Western Illinois region and is hosted this year at Knox College, sponsored in part by the President's Task Force on Sustainability. The Task Force -- including Knox faculty, staff and students -- meets weekly during the school year to discuss ways to encourage sustainability among the college community.

The Expo also is taking applications for volunteers to help at the event. Volunteers can contact Linda Lee Blaine, one of the event organizers and director of the Prairie Tech Learning Center in Monmouth, at llblaine@weidp.org or call 309-734-1068.

Information and registration forms are available from the Green Solutions website.

Founded in 1837, Knox is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, with students from 47 states and 48 countries. Knox's 'Old Main' is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.