Sustainability is at core of Art & Eco Fair

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Sunday, May 21, was perfect weather for Glen Ridge to enjoy its rescheduled Arts & Eco Fair along Ridgewood Avenue.

There were three attractions: Glen Ridge High School art, borough organizations and 72 vendors. The theme of the event was sustainability.

“We’re doing a lot today,” said LoriJean Moody, a co-chairperson for the fair. “We’re doing several big things. A focus is making your yard as environmentally sustainable as possible.”
Homeowners, she said, should plant native New Jersey flora and one, goldenrod, was for sale. Attracting pollinators was also a consideration as was a personal ban on the use of pesticides.

“We’re giving away ‘mosquito dunks,’” she said, referring to a small, donut-shaped, bacteria-releasing object that was advertised as being fatal only to mosquito larva.
There was also the “Repair Cafe” near the train station where small appliances could be put into working order. Instead of discarding them, Moody said this attraction encouraged the mending of appliances and clothing. A nonprofit called “Second Chance Toys” was also present. Its purpose was to redirect unwanted plastic toys, away from landfills, into the hands of needy children.

The Glen Ridge Arts & Eco Fair has pushed back against plastic water bottles for a number of years and Moody pointed out a water truck on the premises to refill personal containers.
“It’s a zero-waste event,” she said. “It truly is a marriage of the arts and environmental sustainability.”

The Glen Ridge Public Library was on hand displaying its electric book bike nicknamed “Ike,” for “Inspire Knowledge Everyday.” Tina Marie Doody, the library director, said a grant paid for the WiFi-connected vehicle which has been in use since the end of last year.

From the pushcart-like bike, books can be placed on hold for pickup. Doody said riding the bike, which she did to the fair, takes a little doing. With her were Gordon Leavitt, president of the Friends of the Glen Ridge Library, Carol Harpster, library board of trustees president and Chrysanthia Kaputsos.

At the Historical Society of Glen Ridge table, there were several society-related items for sale including “Glen Ridge: Living in History,” a book about residential architecture by society members and architects Karen Robison and Nicholas Colello. According to Colello, the community has approximately 30 distinct architectural styles.

Co-chairperson with Moody was Stephanie Koskuba, the secretary for the GRHS Home and School Association. While Moody coordinated the ecology-related attractions, Koskuba handled the vendors. The rain of the previous day and postponement cost the fair about eight vendors, Koskuba said.

“We patronize vendors with eco-awareness who recycle or upcycle,” she said.
Koskuba was especially excited about one example of upcycling. One vendor, she said, was selling small leather-like goods made from tilapia fish skin. At the table where the goods were for sale, the vendor said he first heard about the process 10 years ago when word of it was in a Louisiana State University news account.