MARBLEHEAD — Self-driving electric cars are one way to create awareness for a greener, more sustainable community.
Marblehead held its first community-wide Sustainability Fair on Saturday. It was educational, innovative, and packed with residents eager to learn how they can help their environment. The all-day, family-friendly event was at the Marblehead Charter School, and included informational sessions, environmentally friendly crafts, and knowledgeable games for kids.
“There are many points of contact people have interest in to see what ties in to a healthy planet,” said Judith Black, one of the founders of Sustainable Marblehead. “We need to become more aware. Plastics are oil-based and don’t biodegrade and as long as we live in a fossil fuel society we are murdering ourselves.”
Right outside the charter school’s front doors was a “Tossed and Found” demonstration led by long-time Marblehead resident Christine Cudihy. She had a tarp filled with trash and plastic, all of which she found in the ocean in her backyard. In less than a week, Cudihy found all the tossed trash in the waters of Devereux Beach.
“I live near the beach and I have always appreciated being able to live there,” said Cudihy. “This has always been a problem and I knew there wasn’t going to be a solution until I did something. It’s our negligence and it’s not going to go away.”
After her hard work of collecting the ocean trash on her own, Sustainable Marblehead, a co-sponsor of the fair, created an action group out of her efforts. They hope to continue making residents aware of the damage being caused to their ocean.
Cudihy, who is a full-time nurse, said she doesn’t eat fish or shellfish like she used to because she doesn’t want to “poison” herself with the petroleum created in fish once they swallow plastic.
Katin Miller, a mother of a 6-year-old and a 9-year-old, listened as Cudihy explained her findings in one of Marblehead’s own bodies of water. Her kids were intrigued by the knowledge they were gaining at the fair, but they were most excited for the Terry’s Ice Cream truck.
“It’s good to expose people of all ages and levels of the concept of all the small changes they can make to help the environment,” said Miller.
Among many of the resourceful vendors dispersed throughout the fair were products from Radiance Aveda Lifestyle Salon & Spa. Their tables offered hand massages and information about their environmentally friendly products. Owner Trisha Reynolds said Horst Rechelbacher, founder of Aveda, was a pioneer of holistic beauty and a champion of environmental responsibility. Reynolds said it is her mission to continue that legacy.
Fair attendees could also learn about solar backpack chargers and residential solar opportunities, get their own carbon footprints, take part in resourceful raffles and a silent auction, hear from town departments about their sustainability initiatives, and learn more about the perks of riding electric powered bicycles and cars.
Kids also took part in recycling games, oil spill demonstrations, pot making and plant seeding, and building their own worm hotels.
“It’s such a different climate now,” said Black. “But when your kids come up to you and tell you not to use plastic straws or ask why you have a car that eats so much gas, those are the little things that can start to make a difference.”
