Harvest Goes Green With New Initiative
September 2, 2008
Fredericton is a municipal leader in Canada's emerging Green movement, with the City's goal of becoming the first community in Canada to reach Kyoto targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. So it only makes sense that the City's biggest music festival is also working towards environmental leadership with its new Green Your Harvest Initiative.
Organizers are taking green seriously with improved recycling programs, waste reduction, a carbon-neutral show and a new transportation program that will shuttle patrons and volunteers to the Festival site from the FREX parking lot.
"This year marks the beginning of a long term commitment to make the Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival more environmentally friendly," explains Patti Graham, 2008 Festival Chair. "As an active and socially responsible community organization, we recognize the importance of reducing the Festival's carbon footprint."
"We're motivated to becoming greener and greener each year. For me, it is such a pleasure to work with the amazingly dedicated volunteers who all really get the importance of this goal," she says.
This year, the Festival created a new board position to lead its Green Your Harvest Initiative. Jessica Scott is the Festival's Green Director. She's leading Harvest's early green initiatives that cover many facets of the internationally-renowned festival.
"We're committed to reducing the Festival's impact through initiatives like the new NB Liquor Harvest Park and Ride program, using solar power in the Aliant Mojo Tent on Saturday night and a total effort to reduce waste," says Scott. "We're excited to put on the greenest Harvest in its 18-year history."
New for 2008 is the NB Liquor Harvest Park and Ride, a free shuttle bus from the FREX parking lot to King Street downtown. To significantly reduce idling and traffic in the downtown core, organizers encourage volunteers and patrons who cannot walk or take the bus downtown to carpool to the FREX parking lot. From there, a shuttle will leave approximately every 15 minutes into the heart of all the Festival action.
The shuttle will return to the FREX parking lot, picking people up at Wilmot Alley on Queen Street, beside Westminster Books. The shuttle will run 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday, September 11th through Saturday, September 13th.
"Alcool NB Liquor is proud to be the official Transportation Sponsor of the 2008 Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival. From an environmental perspective, we support the "Green Your Harvest" initiative," says Dana Clendenning, President and CEO, Alcool NB Liquor. "We encourage Harvest patrons to take advantage of the park and ride program and enjoy all the Festival activities in a responsible way."
With the help of Jacques Whitford, Saturday night in the Aliant Mojo Tent will be both carbon neutral and solar powered. Biodegradable cups will be a feature of the evening and sponsor Jacques Whitford will offset the flights of the artists that night in the Aliant Mojo Tent.
The Festival's Green Your Harvest Initiative will also depend on the individual efforts of the patrons.
Patrons are encouraged to reuse their cups and dispose of them at the end of the night in the Cup Sucker tubes attached to all garbage bins. Cup Suckers stack cups neatly so that they take up less space in garbage bags when being disposed of. Recycling of ticket stubs, programs and schedules will also be encouraged.
Also new is Harvest's PickupPal program, an international eco-rideshare program, aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of travellers by carpooling. Mega festivals like Coachella, Virgin Festival and Warped Tour are also in on the action, as well as the socially conscious Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer.
In addition, volunteers will be wearing t-shirts made of 100% organic cotton and the Harvest Green Team will encourage patrons in their efforts to green their Harvest.
To find out more on the Green Your Harvest Initiative, visit the green pages on the Festival's website as well as Harvest's Green Fan Page on Facebook.
