THE BENEFITS OF GREEN TRAVEL
LECTURE SERIES CONTINUES APRIL 26 AT SCHRADER CENTER

WHEELING, W.Va. (April 13, 2009)- - What is “green” travel? How does it benefit travelers, communities and the environment?

Doug Arbogast of Travel Green Appalachia will discuss recent research about the benefits of green travel, how to be a responsible traveler and how to identify green businesses as Oglebay Institute continues its Living Green Lecture Series at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26 at the Schrader Environmental Education Center in Oglebay. The program is free and open to the public.

“According to recent surveys conducted by travel organizations and environmental groups, more people than ever plan to incorporate environmentally conscious activities into their travel plans in 2009,” Schrader Center director Eriks Janelsins said. “As such, ‘green travel’ seemed like a popular and timely subject to include in our lecture series.”

Travel Green Appalachia is comprised of a group of travelers, professors, students, consultants, river guides, hippies, and hobos who care about the land and people of Appalachia and view tourism as an opportunity to develop an economy that will protect and sustain the Appalachian mountains and provide direct benefit to local communities.

Arbogast has been actively involved in the travel and tourism industry for more than15 years. He works with federal, state, and local government, non-profit organizations, universities, businesses, travelers, and local residents to plan for tourism that will be properly developed, managed, and regulated to provide a sustainable future for the environment, society, and economy of Appalachia. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental geo-science and master’s degree in recreation, parks, and tourism resources from West Virginia University.

Sponsored by Jackson Kelly PLLC, this is the third program in Oglebay Institute’s Living Green Lecture Series, which aims to help local residents find simple ways to improve the health of the environment and their families.

“We want people to understand how even the easiest of tasks can make a huge impact,” Janelsins said. “Environmental preservation encompasses numerous complicated topics. Our Living Green series puts these concepts into layman’s terms and helps people incorporate eco-friendly practices into their everyday lives.”

The series features environmental science experts from throughout Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Each program is free and open to the public and includes a coffee reception, following the presentation, for further discussion of the topic.

For more information or to register for the program, contact the Schrader Center at 304.242.6855. Visit Oglebay Institute on the web at www.oionline.com

This program is made possible through the generous support of the members of the Institute as well as with financial assistance from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts.