Living Green Workshop Series • Register • View Cart •

• Join us for a six-week series of FREE educational presentations to help you learn about and implement easy, eco-friendly ideas in your home, yard, and community.
• You may come to all 6 workshops or just one or two.
• Register online to save your spot and ensure there are enough materials for everyone.

More of us are realizing the importance of our choices regarding the environment. To be better stewards of our planet, there are actions and decisions that we can make to limit our negative impact on the Earth. In this workshop, we will explore ways to limit our impact on the planet by “going green.” We will explore different rooms in the home and share sustainable products and practices you can incorporate. The first 20 participants will receive a free sustainability starter kit that includes a Swedish dishcloth, a glass straw, and a bamboo soap holder to take home with you (thanks to funding from the Warren County Solid Waste Management District).

Presenter: Laura Stanton, OSU Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences

Do you want to make your habits more earth friendly? This presentation in the Living Green Series will cover what you need to know! Learn about upcoming changes and additions to our local Rumpke recycling program from Warren County Solid Waste Management District. Then explore ways to make your yard not only a personal oasis, but a refuge for native wildlife and pollinators from Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD). Find out how you can transform your yard into a sustainable, ecologically friendly space that is not only beautiful, but also helps to reduce water pollution through best management practices for your lawn, including turf alternatives, permeable surfaces, landscaping techniques, and more!

Presenters: Melissa Proffitt, Warren County SWCD, Education and Communications Specialist and Suzanne Geisler, Warren County Solid Waste District, Educator

Trees do so much more than produce oxygen! Learn how trees in the urban forest enhance the lives of those living in a community, how different species provide benefits to wildlife and insects, and how to select the best tree for each site.

Presenter: Casey Burdick, City of Lebanon Recreation and Natural Resources Coordinator

Non-stinging, gentle bees that are incredibly efficient pollinators? Yes, please! Learn all about our native bee species, why they are such effective pollinators, why their populations are declining, and what you can do in your own yard to help! We will also touch on safe and effective ways to deal with honeybee swarms, ground wasps, and bald-faced hornets. Free Ohio Division of Wildlife's "Bees and Wasps of Ohio" field guides will be provided for those who pre-register.

The natural night’ is just as important as the day. It’s important to humans, wildlife and the environment. We are starting to lose the night due to light pollution. My presentation explains why the ‘the night sky’ is important (sense of awe, human health, wildlife and cultural heritage) and concludes with practical, safe and sustainable ways to protect and promote the importance of ‘the night’ through parks, programs and valued areas.

I have eighteen years of experience as a park naturalist with ODNR. I’ve included night programs throughout all my years; however, the last four years I have been focusing on this topic and now have a better understanding of why the night sky is important. The info in my PowerPoint presentation is a cross reference of organizations including; the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife, NASA, Department of Natural Resources, National Geographic and Dark Sky International.


Presenter: Erin Shaw, Caesar Creek State Park Naturalist

There are four decades of studies which prove that spending time in nature has mental, physical, and spiritual health benefits. Please join nature nerd, Laura from Ohio State University Extension, and learn about the amazing benefits across the lifespan of getting outside. You will leave with a better understanding of the connection between Vitamin N(ature) and your overall health and wellbeing.
Presenter: Laura Stanton, OSU Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences

• Casey Burdick, City of Lebanon, Recreation and Natural Resources Coordinator
• Suzanne Geisler, Warren County Solid Waste District, Educator
• Shannon Pennington, Warren County Park District Naturalist and Permitted Wildlife Rehabilitator
• Melissa Proffitt, M.A., Warren County SWCD, Education & Communications Specialist
• Erin Shaw, Caesar Creek State Park, Naturalist
• Laura Stanton, M.A., M.S., Ohio State Extension, Warren County, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator