KHOI and the City of Ames Collaborate
on the 10th Annual Ames EcoFair Ames, 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
Although the City of Ames annual EcoFair has been cancelled for Saturday, April 25, several speakers planned for the day will take their presentations to the airwaves through a partnership with KHOI Community Radio. EcoFair speakers will be joined by environmentalists, wildlife experts, and educators from around Iowa who will be providing more commentary for a day-long celebration hosted by KHOI.
This will be an EcoFair to Remember!” according to KHOI Manager Ursula Reudenberg and KHOI host, Pat Schlarbaum. Ruedenberg and Schlarbaum will host the 8-hour broadcast together with City of Ames Staff.
The EcoFair is an annual outreach event with the goal of connecting citizens with City staff and experts who provide resources focused on energy, water, land, and resources. This Saturday would have marked the 10th anniversary of the EcoFair, and April 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Because the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in mandatory social distancing and limiting gatherings to 10 or fewer people, the EcoFair was cancelled.
“Our EcoFair team had been working for months on a bigger and better event for this year, so cancelling the event was disappointing. But we are excited to showcase some of our speakers through our collaboration with KHOI. What’s truly important is that residents have access to the information they need to conserve resources,” said Tracy Warner, Municipal Engineer with Ames Public Works.
Many speakers who had planned to present at the EcoFair will be available by tuning into KHOI-FM, 89.1 or via streaming at www.KHOIFM.org from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Some presentation topics from City of Ames speakers include how the City incorporates sustainability initiatives into street projects (Tracy Warner, Municipal Engineer); how residents can access Smart Watershed rebates for rain gardens, rain barrels, and native tree plantings (Liz Calhoun, Stormwater Resource Analyst); how City snow plows are using biodiesel fuel through a partnership with REG (Rich Iverson, Fleet Support Manager); and how residents can declutter, eliminate trash from the landfill, and help local non-profits through Rummage RAMPage (Merry Rankin, Sustainability Coordinator).
A complete list of speakers will be posted to www.CityOfAmes.org/EcoFair by Friday, April 24. Also check the KHOI website at www.KHOIFM.org for more information.
Another virtual opportunity to enjoy the EcoFair and celebrate Earth Day is the Eco Scavenger Hunt, which allows teams of 1 to 4 members to participate in a mostly virtual scavenger hunt around Ames and win prizes.
To participate, go to www.CityOfAmes.org/