Making Greendale Greener

From composting to water conservation to environmentally friendly foods, there was something for eveyone at the first Green Up Greendale event, held on Saturday at .

The event was sponsored by the Greendale Goes Green committee, made up of Greendale school district staff, teachers, students and community members. 

, high school freshman and event organizer, was pleased with the turnout for the event, saying," This shows that people are interested in how they can do their part to make Greendale greener.  We're the garden community and  all the small things people do add up to make a big impact."  

About 40 exhibitors were on hand to talk to residents about ways to make a socially responsible impact on their environment. Exhibitors included Johnson Controls, Goodwill, Cory the Bike Fixer, MMSD, Madam J's Jams and Jellies, the Urban Ecology Center, the Wehr Nature Center, Sweet Water, MATC, Children's Orchard, Slow Food Wisconsin Southeast, Wild Ones Landscaping, the Midwest Renewable Energy Association, and the Holistic Moms Network. 

Greendale resident Mary Ann Kniep was especially interested in the SE WI Watershed and the Wild Ones Landscaping booths. Kniep, who maintains a natural yard at her home in Greendale, says more people should consider changing their lawns from grass to natural landscaping.

"It's far more rewarding to see birds, butterflies and insects habitate your area instead of grass that has to be mowed and treated with pesticides."

Kniep went on to say that many people think of natural yards as lots that are overgrown with weeds when in reality they feature native plants and wildflowers and require regular maintenence, but without all the mowing and chemicals.  

Several groups of students also had displays at the fair, including the Greendale Environmental Organization Club. The booth was selling coffee grown in the rainforests and also featured games for kids visiting the fair and a demonstration about composting with worms.

High school freshman and GEO Club member Jessi Stellberg said the composting display was especially popular. "A lot of families are looking for information on how to compost, because when you compost you don't have to use chemical fertilizers," she said. "With the worms it takes about three months to create useable compost." 

Another popular stop for visitors was the middle school Buddy Club booth where students were selling pots of sweet basil, geraniums, parsley and marigolds for five dollars a piece. The pots were sold out before the fair ended.

Presentation topics included container gardening, renewable energy technologies, Milwaukee area water quality, home energy efficiency, pesticides and your health, and food preservation. 

Members of the Greendale Goes Green committee are hoping to repeat the free event in the future to continue their mission of raising awareness about the monetary, health and environmental benefits of adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle.