by JEEVAN NAGPAL Staff Writer
The third annual Monroe Township Green Fair happened to be the biggest one yet, with more vendors and organizations than ever before.
Co-sposored by the Environmental Commission and the Monroe Township Public Library, the fair took place on Saturday, October 6 at Oak Tree Elementary School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Senior Saloni Chaudhary says, “It’s cool to see so many people take in interest in switching to a greener lifestyle. People were interested in learning about worm composting and rain barrels. It gives me hope that these things might be common in the near future.”
The fair offered various eco-friendly stands that local residents could participate in.
There was an all-volunteer bicycle exchange where bikes were collected, repaired, and sold from its shop on the Trenton-Ewing border. The efforts of bike exchange benefit low-income families, as well as after-school programs of the Boys and Girls Club.
There was also a shredding truck and a freecycling station. At the freecycling site, residents brought lamps, furniture, tools, and other items that were in good condition from their homes and placed them at the designated site. From there, anyone was able to pick up these items and take them home for free.
“The idea with freecycling, is that nothing gets sent to the dump,” said Katherine Budge, Chairwoman of the Environmental Commission. “Everything brought in will find a home.”
Residents were also able to take a tour of Oak Tree Elementary School because it has solar panels and natural light coming from 90 percent of the building. It school was designed to LEEDS standard, making the school environmentally friendly.
The library also played a large role at the fair. It provided eco-friendly arts and crafts, as well as puppet shows and story time about the environment.
In addition, the Department of Public Welfare arranged for its Enviro-Mobile to come. This mobile taught kids how to treat the earth in an environmentally-friendly classroom.
Not only were there educational stalls, there was also delicious food with fresh ingredients served by Taqueria Maria’s Deli of Docks Corner Road.
Live entertainment, provided by Monroe Township High School graduate Trevor Smith and his band The New Royalty, was also featured.