Several area businesses are partnering to hold the second Plain Green Conference April 17 at the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science.

 

They symposium will bring together professionals, government officials, students and the general public to discuss and address current issues in sustainability and green communities.

 

Stacey McMahan with Koch Hazard Architects said the Plain Green concept was developed to allow interested people a chance to get together and to have a green symposium. Koch Hazard Architects contacted South Dakota State University and together they worked on  program that included a variety of green topics, many of which related to design and construction. The first conference was held last fall with more than 240 attendees, including 60 students.

 

"We'd like to grow this event large enough that we have to have it at the Great Hall," McMahan said. "We tried to find programs that appeal to people and help educate them about green living."

 

This year's conference features several pre-conference workshops that will take place April 16 at the Museum of Visual Materials, Cherapa Place and the Pavilion. The pre-conference workshop topics include: green homes, LEED NC Technical Workshop, greenscapes, Sioux Falls Green Project conversations, Glacial Lakes Permaculture.

 

Topics at the conference include: cool buildings for a cooler planet, local foods, architecture and environment, urban environment, EnergyStar inspection, Sioux Falls Arboretum: The Vision in Green, and designing a more resilient future. Conference registration is $75 at the door and $25 for students. Register for the conference or view the conference schedule at www.plaingreen.org.

 

For more information, contact Stacey McMahan at Koch Hazard Architects at (605) 336-3718, or Jane Hegland at SDSU at (605) 688-4000.

 

Sponsors include: Koch Hazard Architects, SDSU College of Family and Consumer Sciences Helen Van Zante Endowment, Blend Interactive, Inc., Howalt-McDowell Insurance, Inc., Lawrence & Schiller, Associated Consulting Engineering Inc., O'Connor Company, South Dakota Interior Designers, Jasper Stone Company, and SMG/Sioux Falls Arena.