Are you wanting to learn more about your community’s sustainability and climate initiatives?
Join us for FoCo EcoFest, an environmentally-focused and free event happening on June 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 300 Laporte Ave. Delve into the City of Fort Collins’ ambitious climate initiatives in a vibrant atmosphere filled with food trucks, live music, informational booths, educational presentations and family-friendly activities.
Adopted in 2020, the Our Climate Future plan is the City’s strategy to achieve zero carbon emissions by the year 2030. Engage with your community and interact with city staff to learn more about this climate action plan and how you can participate in making a difference in Fort Collins!
Xeriscape Garden Party#
But that's not all - we'll be hosting the Xeriscape Garden Party! Discover the beauty of water-wise, native, and pollinator landscapes with insights from local experts. Participate in our free NoCo Native Plant Exchange and landscaping education sessions. Don't worry if you don't have plants to swap; everyone is welcome to participate and take one home. Just remember to bring your own bag or box!
Whether you're passionate about sustainability, native plants, conservation, or climate change solutions, EcoFest provides an amazing opportunity to explore and celebrate our community's resilience.
Free classes available at this year's FoCo EcoFest!#
Quick Overview of Schedule#
| Class | Time |
| New Waterwise Plants and Gardening For a Changing Climate | 10:15-10:40 a.m. |
| Heat Pump 101 | 10:45-11:10 a.m. |
| Firescaping: Green Solutions to Save Water and Protect Property | 11:15-11:40 a.m. |
| Solar | 11:45-12:10 p.m. |
| Low Water + Low Maintenance Gardening | 12:15-12:40 p.m. |
Detailed Overview of Schedule#
| Class | Time | Class Description | Presenter |
| New Waterwise Plants and Gardening For a Changing Climate | 10:15 - 10:40 a.m. | Learn about the latest sustainable planting ideas, from perennials to shrubs and trees, and the best ways to incorporate them into your garden or landscape. | Plant Select® Executive Director, Ross Shrigley, is a seasoned gardener with a breadth and depth of experience in the world of horticulture. Plant Select® is a nonprofit collaboration of Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens, and the green industry. |
| Heat Pump 101 | 10:45-11:10 a.m. |
The invention and continual development of Heat Pump technologies is the key enabler for the essential energy transition we must pursue to combat climate change. This talk will cover:
|
Tony has a passion for realizing people’s potential and in particular making a sustainable difference for his clients. Before becoming a full-time professional trainer and coach, Tony held a variety of scientific and change management positions in his 21 years at BP. It was his roles in Change Management that led him to leave BP to concentrate of helping many organizations explore organizational and individual change programs to pursue continuous improvement and help realize their full potential.
Tony believes in “inside-out learning”. What he means is, people need to experience or ‘see’ the issue for themselves and internalize it, before they are ready to make a change and externalize that change through new behaviors and actions.
Since retiring, using his scientific background, Tony has focused his attention on addressing Climate Change. With plenty of help, he has designed and built a net-zero home in Laporte, Colorado, and now volunteers for Citizens Climate Lobby and GoElectric Colorado. He helps the community and individuals in developing action plans to improve their homes’ energy efficiency and to electrify with the aim to eliminate GHG emissions.
Education, Qualifications and Certification:
· BSc. Materials Sciences, Imperial College, London.
· DPhil. Chemistry, Oxford.
|
| Firescaping: Green Solutions to Save Water and Protect Property | 11:15 - 11:40 a.m. | The risk of wildfires to Front Range communities is growing, and residents can take measures to prepare. Learn how to create an attractive, green, low-water landscape that can protect your home. | Kevin Lyles is a Landscape Architect and Certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (CWMS) who designs parks, trails, and landscapes for sustainability and climate resiliency. He recently started a small nursery to promote the use of native, water-wise, and fire-wise plants. |
| Solar | 11:45-12:10 p.m. | What's up with solar and battery storage? Hear the basics of solar and battery storage, how solar and battery storage align with Our Climate Future, as well as incentives and resources for residential customers. | Leland Keller has managed Residential Solar, Community Solar and Battery Storage Programs at Fort Collins Utilities since 2017. He began consulting in the field of energy efficiency and demand management in 1992 and has supported impact and process evaluations of residential and commercial programs for some of the largest investor-owned utilities in the United States. From 2001 – 2013, he provided best practices research and syndicated reporting to electric and gas utilities across North America regarding customer-facing programs, distributed energy resources and efficient technologies. Leland holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia, completed graduate-level work at the University of Colorado, as well as solar and storage advanced courses through Solar Energy International. |
| Low Water + Low Maintenance Gardening | 12:15 - 12:40 p.m. | Learn the principles of Low Maintenance Gardening and how to foster an ecologically sustainable landscape while lowering your inputs. | Tessie Walters and Andrea Work are horticulturists in Fort Collins with a focus on low water gardening and all things sustainability. They work with Blue Spruce Horticulture to create unique, functional, and artistic landscapes that thrive in the high plains. |
Did You Know?
Mowing when it's cool reduces stress on the grass.
Cleaning your dryer filter regularly prevents lint build ups that can reduce airflow resulting in clothes not drying completely.
Pre-heating your home before 5 p.m. in the winter and coasting through the on-peak hours can save money on your utility bill.