The Monadnock Earth Festival Committee proudly announces the 9th Annual Monadnock Earth Festival on Saturday, April 25th from 11am to 4pm at Railroad Square on Main Street in Keene. This event culminates the local Earth Week celebrations. There will be an array of local speakers, workshops and demonstrations highlighting the theme "Our Web of Life" and our connections to the world around us. In addition,
there will be local farmers, businesses, organizations and vendors selling products, giving information and showcasing local initiatives. Children's activities will be ongoing throughout the Festival. The event closes at 4pm with a raffle drawing for a Zapino Electric Scooter to benefit The Sustainability Project. This free event is open to the public. Kids activities will be available throughout the day. Come, rain or shine, and help celebrate our special place in the Monadnock Region!
Tuesday, April 21
Weaving Energy Conservation into Your Life, Green Energy Options, 79 Emerald Street, Keene
5-6:30pm
Valerie Piedmont and Pablo Fleischmann, owners of Green Energy Options Solar Store and founders of The Sustainability Project share their formative experience as homesteaders in the Emerson Brook Forest. Learn about energy conservation, solar electric and solar hot water systems, heating alternatives, rainwater collection, composting and edible forest gardening. For more information contact: Pablo or Valerie at 603-358-3444, geo@usasolarstore.com
Thursday, April 23
Wetland Cleanup (near ANE bike path)
11:30am-12:30pm
Join us as we clean up the wetland area behind the school near the bike path. Help beautify this area enjoyed by students and the public. Bring gloves and boots or waders if you have them. Garbage bags will be provided. Meet in the downstairs lobby at Antioch.
Evening Walk at Goose Pond with Tom Wessels
5-6:30pm, Meet at Goose Pond (map)
Join naturalist and Antioch University New England professor Tom Wessels for an evening stroll around Goose Pond to look for signs of spring! Bring along binoculars if you have them.
Beyond Denial (film and discussion), Keene Public Library
7pm
Join Antioch Masters Student Jessica Zane for a showing of her documentary “Beyond Denial: The Emotional Terrain of Climate Change.” This short (approx. 20 minute) documentary explores the emotional responses people have to climate change. Climate change cannot be solved with only technical solutions, using only our rational minds. A critical part of meeting the future will also require our emotional selves. In order to do that, the first step is find out what that emotional landscape looks like. Discussion will follow. Film will be shown in The Keene Public Library Auditorium
Friday, April 24
Wetland Cleanup (near ANE bike path)
11:30am-12:30pm
Join us as we clean up the wetland area behind the school near the bike path. Help beautify this area enjoyed by students and the public. Bring gloves and boots or waders if you have them. Garbage bags will be provided. Meet in the downstairs lobby at Antioch.
Primitive Skills Workshop with Chris Wood
4:30pm
Local and expert craftsman, Chris Wood, will be leading a friction fire workshop. Friction fire is one method to make fire without using a match or lighter. The bow drill is considered to be one of the easier methods to make fire by using friction. This method was used by the Native Americans in the Northeast. After a brief discussion of the components and materials, Chris will then do a demonstration of the process. Participants will also get a chance to experiment with some of the bow drill sets. At the end of the event bow drill sets will be for sale for $20. Meet in front of Antioch New England.
Watch a video of Nick Spadaro from the Maine Primitive skills school as an overview of the process.
Birding, Ashuelot Park
6pm
Join naturalist Peter Davenport for an evening bird walk in beautiful Ashuelot park on West St. in Keene. We will be looking for woodcocks and their distinct evening displays! Bring binoculars and bird guides if you have them. Meet at Antioch New England and walk over at 6pm or at Ashuelot park at 6:10pm
Sunday, April 26th
Earth Stewardship, Emerson Brook Forest, Gilsum, NH
9am - 3pm
Join in the playful work of creating a wheelchair accessible center in the Emerson Brook Forest. If you have them, bring your favorite tool and work gloves. If you aren't able to do the physical aspects of the day, come anyway, and share your creative self-- music, poetry and visions for a sustainable future! Work in the Emerson Brook Forest is always a social event! Invite your educational, civic or religious group to participate in this satisfying ongoing effort.
*Additional planned workdays from 9 am -3 pm: Sunday, April 26th, Saturday, May 16th and Sundays, June 7th, August 2nd, and September 13th
For more information about the April 25th Festival or any of the Earth Week events, please contact:
Lenoir McDougal: lmcdougal@antioch.edu or 802-376-4256