MRES thanks our 2023 Eco Experience Volunteers!

—a letter from our Board Chair, Mark Weber

On behalf of the MRES Board of Directors, I would like to personally thank all 20 Eco Experience Community Partners and 120 volunteers who stepped up to help make the 2023 MRES Indoor- Outdoor Eco Experience extravaganza a roaring success. Along with our six dedicated Site Managers, you helped us achieve our goal of facilitating the visitor experience twelve hours per day for twelve days straight! You assured visitors felt welcomed, learned something new and had fun!

In a note to all Eco Experience Exhibitors, Jeff Stuhr, MPCA Eco Experience Coordinator, shared his praise:

“The approximately 210,000 visitors to the Eco Experience enjoyed everything you had to offer. Because of all your hard work, we are, once again, receiving many excellent comments about Eco Experience 2023. It was truly a pleasure seeing the smiles on fair-goers faces as they interacted with the displays and the staff working them. Thank you and your staff for your efforts!”

A special shout out to a few folks who spiced up the show.

• The Central MN Chapter of The Climate Reality Project (Al Gore’s organization), joined MRES as a new Partner and brought clarity to financial incentives embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act, offering graphics, links and an educated crew. Look for more to come: climaterealitymsp.com/tax-credits-and-rebates

• MRES also introduced visitors two new interactive exhibits: Wind Energy Storage, thanks to the efforts of builder Forrest Price in conjunction with the Science Museum of MN and the Dept of Mechanical Engineering, UM.; and Solar Bird, a playful prototype putting solar to work crafted by Chris Burda and Alex Gedstad with assistance by Chris Krumm.

• And we brought back the MRES Tiny House with a new Bingo card challenge to introduce visitors to four types of solar collectors. Thanks to Board Member Sandra Goodyear for refreshing the Tiny House to welcome guests.

• Thanks to Todd Telin and crew from Partner I-State Truck Centers for bringing the gleaming 40’ electric bus and engaging visitors in lively conversation daily.

• Partner Solar Oven Society of Persons Helping People donated a Sport Solar Oven as our big give-away prize, awarded to a happy winner from Lake City on Labor Day.

Minnesota Sustainability Tour Oct 6-8!

Now let’s pause, regroup and join the MRES/ASES Sustainability Tour October 6-8! This year we can talk to Minnesota homeowners in person or virtually hear their stories and others from around the country. Got solar and/or other sustainable features? Consider sharing your experience. You might inspire others to connect to the sun. Learn more here.

Thanks to all for your support. We welcome your feedback and engagement. MRES invites you to volunteer with us at events year round. We’ll be in touch. Together we can create a sustainable society and renewable energy economy for all.

With sincere appreciation,

Mark Weber, Board Chair

It takes a community to stage a show like this. In addition to expressing gratitude to our 120 onsite volunteers, please let out a cheer for MPCA who invited us, our 22 Eco Experience Partners who helped make our exhibits timely and our 20-member crew who worked tirelessly behind the scenes.

2023 MRES Eco Experience Team:

Chris Burda & Doug Shoemaker…..…….Eco Experience Co-Coordinators
Renee Lea-Rueda …………………………….......Volunteer Co-Coordinator
Ellie Mahon….................................…………........Communications Specialist
Rich Solomon….............................……….............Training Video Recordings
Katherine Schafer ……………..………………..Refreshments Coordinator
Sandra Goodyear ……………………………......Prize Drawing Coordinator
Nina Gilliam & Grace Wong…........………...........Exhibit Graphic Designers
Luis Olvera…......................................……….......................Spanish Translator
Tim Bethke & Ryan Bergquist…........………..........................Tech Assistants
Barb Lunde ……………………………...….........................Greeter with Gifts

Eco Experience Site Managers:

Mark Weber, Chris Burda, Don Woebkenberg, Lauren Lindelof, Dave Ring, Tim Bethke

Training and Exhibit Logistics Crew:

Chris Burda
Doug Shoemaker
Patrick Holt
Mike Kemper
Tim Bethke
Katherine Schafer
Don Woebkenberg
John Dunlop
Marissa Galen
Joe Pajari
John Dunlop

Eco Experience Partners, providing exhibits, expertise and essential services and support:

Exhibit Features:

Explore three topics at the 2023 MRES Eco Experience.

Global Warming? Let’s Cool it!

• Learn and practice the language of global warming and its solutions—mitigation, resilience and adaptation, and carbon reduction.

• Think efficiency first when preparing your home & community for renewables. Spin our hand-crank generator to compare the energy it takes to light an LED compared to an incandescent bulb.

• How far can a pipe carry sunlight? MRES Partner, Solar Midwest, will demonstrate this surprising passive solar technology.

• Have you considered installing a heat pump to heat and cool your home efficiently?

• Tim Pendergast will treat all to his charming scale model house embedded with energy efficient technologies. Can you find them all?
  
  

Race to Renewables! Connect to Wind and Sun!

• Visit the MRES Tiny House for (4) ways to collect solar energy.

• Be inspired and learn from solar adopters giving personal video tours of their sustainable homes.

• Learn the solar suitability of your site and your options for going solar.

• Is your community suitable for developing a wind farm? Investigate opportunities.

• Homeowners, apartment and condo dwellers can all find paths to clean energy futures.

• MRES will showcase two Solar Boat Regatta winners this year: City Academy High School and Orono Middle School.
  
  

Go Electric! PV + Wind + Storage = Living on Sunshine (Sun drives wind & waves)

• Power up electric devices with rooftop solar + wind + storage options. See the exhibit!

• A MN Hybrid Wind + Solar + Storage project is saving customers money & reducing global warming. See the exhibit!

• MN is a leader in Solar Pollinator Gardens, which produce clean energy, use native plants to feed pollinators, and hold carbon in the soil. See the exhibit!

• Repurpose and recycle solar panels and EV batteries! It’s worth it.

• Solar Cookers come in all shapes and sizes and can reverse global warming around the world! Luther Krueger’s giant Villager solar oven will be on display.

The Eco Experience

The Eco Experience at the Minnesota State Fair is a compilation of cutting-edge displays on various sustainability efforts including renewable energy, electric vehicles, water resource conservation, organic farming and more!

Perfect for do-it-yourselfers, techies, gardeners, and nature-lovers, the space is perfect for families. The Eco Experience is presented by the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Bring your family, bring a friend — get in on The Eco Experience!