Press Mention Tennessee Journalist September 30, 2008
SACE Quoted
Ijams Nature Center presents Solar Homes Tour, Science Cafe
In this mention
The Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville hosted a Solar Homes Tour sponsored by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy on October 4, 2008, allowing residents to visit local homes using solar energy and learn about conservation. Mary Speight, an intern for SACE, explained that homeowners share their personal experiences and demonstrate how solar panels can result in negative electrical bills. The event aimed to educate the public about solar technology and inspire action toward renewable energy adoption.
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Ijams Nature Center presents Solar Homes Tour, Science Cafe
By Ashley Nelson
published: October 01 2008 01:33 PM updated:: October 05 2008 10:44 PM
The Ijams Nature Center will be hosting two events to bring awareness about solar energy and the Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge.
The Solar Homes Tour will visit Knoxville Saturday, Oct. 4. The tour is a nationally recognized event sponsored by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and will begin 9 a.m. at the Ijams Nature Center Miller Building.
Residents of Knoxville will be able to visit homes in the Knoxville area that are actively conserving energy.
"This is done throughout the nation. They can pick where they want go," Mary Speight, an intern for Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said. "Homeowners speak to you and tell them about their personal experiences. They show them their electrical bill and how they are negative. It's really just getting a feel for the personal experience of each homeowner and that it is real."
Those wanting to tour the homes will meet at Ijams Nature Center for a brief presentation and then carpool to other sites, Peg Beute, Community Programs Manager of the Ijams Nature Center, said. According to Speight, visitors will be given information on solar technology and the financial aspects of solar panels.
The purpose of the tour is to educate people about conserving energy. "But it is also to spur people into action. To show that it is doable," Beute said. "It is expensive. So, for a lot of people it seems out of reach to go solar. Not only are they going net zero but they are making money."
The Science Café at the Ijams Nature Center will be held Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 5:30 p.m. The discussion focuses on the Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge located in southeastern Knoxville, Beute said.
Dr. Wayne Schacher, a wildlife biologist and the wildlife manager of Seven Islands Wildlife Refuge, will be presenting the research that is conducted at the refuge. Schacher's projects include bird migration routes, banding owls, planting native grasses, and raising a pair of bald eagles, Beute said.
The Science Cafés are held once a month at the Ijams Visitor Center. The public is welcome to sit, drink coffee, and discuss topics of interests, Beute said. The Ijams Nature Center staff picks a topic, finds an expert in the field, and invites those interested to join in a discussion.
"When we talked about switch grass, we had a lot of farmers show up. The whole idea is to get a conversation going," Beute said.
According to Beute, Ijams Nature Center seeks to increase education and appreciation of nature through programs, such as Science Cafés and school field trips.
The Solar Homes Tour and Science Cafe are open to the public and free of charge.