LIVING GREEN LECTURE SERIES OPENS WITH A LOOK AT RAVEN ROCKS COMMUNTY

WHEELING, W.Va. (February 10, 2009)- - Oglebay Institute’s Living Green lecture series begins its 2009 series February 22 with “Beyond Green: The Perspective of a Member of the Raven Rocks Community,” presented by Rich Sidwell, head of the Olney Friends School.

Free and open to the public, the program begins at 2 p.m. at the Schrader Environmental Education Center, located in Oglebay, and is the first of six lectures that feature environmental science experts from throughout the region.

Sponsored by Jackson Kelly, PLLC, the 2009 Living Green programs include a lecture, question and answer session and a coffee reception, following the presentation, for further discussion of the topic. In addition to the lectures, this season also features three hands-on workshops with topics such as designing your own rain garden, backyard composting and strawbale construction.

Located in Belmont County, Ohio near Beallsville, The Raven Rocks Community is a group of Ohioans, who have dedicated their lives to preserving approximately 1000 acres of forest and ravine land while living sustainably. Founded nearly 40 years ago, Raven Rocks is a shining example of cutting edge practices in alternative energy and energy conservation. They are strongly committed to walking lightly on the earth through growing and preserving much of their own food organically, making use of passive solar mechanisms, using composting toilets and eco-friendly products and producing solar and wind energy.

Sidwell is one of the founding members of the Raven Rocks Community. His presentation will provide a history and summary of the Raven Rocks community including its early focus on environmental concerns and the projects members undertook because of them; a closer look at the passive solar, earth-sheltered house they built and have lived in since 1991, and an overview of ideas, concepts, and concerns from a number of noted authors, suggesting ways to move toward a sustainable future where humans exist on the planet in a healthy relationship.

The Living Green lecture series continues through October with each program focusing on a different environmental issue. The series, now in its third year, was developed and is organized by Oglebay Institute’s Environmental Education Committee. A complete list of free programs is as follows.

February 22, “Beyond Green: The Perspective of a Member of the Raven Rocks Community,” presented by Rich Sidwell, Head of Olney Friends School

March 29, “Reconnecting Children with Nature: What’s Behind the Newest National movement?” presented by Bill Hopple, Cincinnati Nature Center

April 26, “Travel Green,” presented by Doug Arbogast, Travel Green Appalachia

August 30, “Biomimicry: Beyond Green,” presented by Lisa Schmidtke, Biomimicry Institute

September 27, “An Overview of Residential and Commercial Green Building,” presented by Dianne Bossart, Green Building Alliance

October 25, “Renewable Energy for Everybody,” presented by Mike McKechnie, Mountain View Builders

Living Green will also feature the following workshops: Backyard Landscapes: Designing Your Own Rain Garden with Dr. Kathy Patnode April 11; Rain Barrel Workshop and Backyard Composting with the Pennsylvania Resources Council, Inc. May 9; Strawbale Basics: Getting Hands-on with Strawbale Building with Jeff Feldman September 12. There is a fee for workshops to cover the cost of materials and instruction.

For more information on Living Green lectures or workshops, contact the Schrader Environmental Education Center at 304.242.6855.