Green Monona Tour on the community sign

Subject: The Green Monona Tour

When: Sunday June 14, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where: All around Monona

Who:You.

Would you like to see a blower door test and an infrared camera in action, a composting toilet (Umm, not in action), regular composting, rain barrels, rain gardens, organic gardens, a solar lawn mower, Solatubes, permeable driveway pavers, not to mention a yurt? Would you like to turn green with envy? All right here in beautiful green Monona? For free?

Would you like to take a behind-the-scenes peak at how Wal-Mart has incorporated energy-saving features into its local Wal-Mart Superstore’s operation?

Well, you are out of luck, UNLESS you take the Green Monona Tour on Sunday, June 14 between 9 .am. and 1 p.m. (Rain or shine). The tour is self-guiding. Look for the Green Monona Tour signs. There will also be a guided bus tour leaving from Ahuska Park at 9:20 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The bus will only stop at selected sites. And it’s all FREE.

Stop anywhere that you see a Green Monona Tour “Site” sign. However, a trip to Ahuska Park is pretty near mandatory to view exhibits and talk to exhibitors (and while you’re there, scarf some tasty treats and buy your organic meats and produce at the Monona Farmers Market).

Nine homes, four businesses (Wal-Mart, Rutabaga Paddlesports, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, and 4Pillars4Health EcoSpace LLC), one church, and one city building are on the tour. Exhibitors present at specific sites on the tour and at Ahuska Park are: Focus on Energy, ReStore, The Natural Step Monona, Madison Area Permaculture Guild, Madison Gas & Electric, Full Spectrum Solar, Sustain Dane, Brighter Concepts, and MPowering.

The Green Monona Tour gives you a chance to see some sustainable practices up close and speak with your neighbors who have implemented them (this is the part where you turn green from envy). You will also have a chance to talk to vendors of many of these products. Get some ideas, learn from their experiences, and maybe you will want to try one or more of these practices at your home or business.

The city of Monona’s Sustainability Committee is sponsoring the tour with generous support from Wal-Mart. Special thanks to Heather Gates, Nicole North Hester, and the former chair of the committee, old what’s-his-name.

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience (unless we decide to do it again next year): The Green Monona Tour, Sunday June 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Do the Green Monona Tour on your own in any old order you like or adhere to our rigid schedule and ride the bus at 9:20 a.m. and 11 a.m. And did I mention that it’s FREE?

More information is available at the city’s website, mymonona.com.