The fourth annual Souhegan Sustainability Fair is set to take place at the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle/High School on May 4.
Jennifer Beck, a member of the Souhegan Sustainability Committee, said in its four years of existence, the fair has doubled the number of attendees it attracts each year. They hope to keep that trend going this year, with a bigger fair and more presenters than ever before.
The fair includes booths of vendors and organizations, as well as live music, food, and structured presentations and activities.
There will be talks on using edible plants for food and drink, a lawmakers panel, and residents will have the opportunity to make a wood burning of a poem to add to the poetry trail which will be installed on one of the trails around the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle/High School.
“And a wide diversity of presenters, everything from naturopathic medicine practitioners to the Citizen’s Climate Lobby,” Beck said. “We don’t charge nonprofits for exhibiting, so the fair is filled with people trying to do good work and expose what they do and their missions to people who wouldn’t have previously known they or their resources existed.”
Beck said one of the most exciting things about the fair is what organizers have referred to as the “ripple effect” – hearing what those who have attended the fair go on to do with their new knowledge.
“We’re just one day, one forum for people to get together, learn, and get inspired. Then they go off and do things they didn’t know they could do, whether it’s a small thing like starting to use a clothesline instead of their dryer, or a big thing like testifying in from on the legislature.”
The fair is a mix of vendor booths, speakers and presentations and hands-on workshops.
There are several opportunities to explore the hiking trails and wooded areas around the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle/High School. Sgt. John Frechette of the Wilton Police Department will hold a bike clinic and trail ride at 10:30 a.m. At 11 a.m., there will be a guided walk around the school to identify available edible plants. Nikki Andrews will lead a guided hike from the school to Garwin Falls at 3:30 p.m.
Beck said these opportunities to explore the natural world in Wilton are among the highlights of the fair.
“It’s one thing to see the displays or hear a presentation and ask questions, and another to take those things you’ve learned and put them into practice,” Beck said. “People just do better if they’re outside. So, go outside, be aware, breathe, and appreciate it, especially where we live.”
The fair is planned for May 4 at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School at 57 School Road in Wilton. The fair has free admission. Some workshops have a small materials fee. For a full list of vendors, presentations and workshops, visit www.souhegansustainability.com.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.