The public is invited to two lecture series programs hosted by the Wintergreen Nature Foundation at Rockfish Valley Community Center. The first program, on “Alternative Energy,” will be held Saturday, March 14, and on Friday, March 28, the program will be “What Might the Future Hold.” Both programs will start at 7 p.m. and are $15 per person.
“Alternative Energy” will feature a panel of four, each presenting a specific view on the issue. Joel Darmstadter, Senior Fellow researcher with the Washington, D.C., Resources for the Future, will offer an overview of his global and national research on alternative energy resources. From the Science Museum of Virginia, Dr. David Hagen, Museum Scientist for Physical Sciences, will discuss his work at the museum with new educational exhibits directed at understanding alternative energy resources.
Patrick Farley, AIA/LEED, energy and Environmental Progress, and designer of alternative energy and environmental systems for homes and businesses, will showcase several of his many unique designs that have been successful in daily living. The final panelist will be Rick Reynolds, Wildlife Biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Reynolds will discuss potential conflicts between wind farms and wildlife as he shares his study results on the Highland County wind-generating project.
The March 28 program features meteorologist Jeff Halverson and focuses on how climate and global warming occur and what we can learn about the future storms of 2009 from Halverson’s study of the 2008 hurricane season.
Other programs being offered by the Wintergreen Nature Foundation include several interpretive hikes on the mountain, a high-tech treasure hunt for signs of the season for young people ages 7-12 and a Spring Wildflower Symposium, May 15-17, when wildflowers, including Trillium, will be in full bloom.
For more information or to register, call 434-325-8169 or go online to www.twnf.org.
