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Ideal weather Thursday evening created a friendly environment on a night that was all about being environmentally friendly at “Thursdays in Pella.” “Go Green” was the them for the evening, and the event featured a wide variety of displays to get people thinking of ways to reduce their impact on the environment. A walk-through exhibit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources was likely the most popular exhibit and was brought in by KAL Services. Bryan Vander Meiden, manager at KAL Services explains what the exhibit is all about.

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“It’s owned by the Iowa DNR, and it’s all about our ecosystem, and what’s being affected by it and the cause and effect – just like it says on the side of the trailer,” said KAL Services manager Bryan Vander Meiden. “[It’s] all about in your home – saving water, saving electricity, recycling more…your trash is always a factor. The more we recycle, the less we put in the landfill.”

The exhibit was on display to the public for the first time since the DNR refurbished the mobile display, and also utilized a high percentage of recycled materials from the previous exhibit. Vander Meiden says he hoped those who attended the event went away thinking more about how to reduce their impact on their environment.

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“Be green. We don’t inherit the earth, we borrow it from our children,” said Vander Meiden. “Just always remember when you’re leaving the room to turn the light off; when you’re taking a shower, a maybe take five minutes less; or when you’re going to throw that plastic bottle away, maybe throw it in the nearby recycling bin.”

Other displays included fuel-efficient vehicles from Pella Motors and Ulrich Ford, Lincoln, Mercury; information on wind energy, displays from Central College on ways their campus is becoming more sustainable and exhibits on energy-efficient improvements for your home shown by Koopman Construction, Pella Corporation and Van Haaften Plumbing and Heating.
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