Anyone can call themselves an environmentalist these days, but it takes a certain amount of dedication to brave 90+ degree heat and unrelenting sun and make the trek out to the isolated, remote corner of Rhode Island where the Apeiron Institute hosts their annual Sustainable Living Festival.

Well, on second thought, there probably isn’t any particular abundance of remote, isolated spots in the 2nd most densely populated U.S. state. But getting to the annual festival, held on the wooded grounds of the Apeiron Institute, was still a complicated affair. Most visitors ended up parking at the Coventry Middle School and hitching a ride on a biodiesel-powered school bus to the festival site, while the more committed sustainability enthusiasts put their green mettle to the pedal and joined the bike train for a 45 mile journey from Providence. 

Since my parents are a bit skittish on bikes, we had to settle for a less sustainable journey by combustion engine.  (Although I admittedly can't imagine my own under-utilized physique being able to complete a 45 mile bike ride, so maybe it was the default decision either way.)  Either way, any unsustainable habits were left behind upon entering the Sustainability festival, where any and all activities at the festival had been thoroughly vetted for their greenness.  Anything that could be disposed of could also be composted or recycled, and everything from the hummus pita wraps to the chocolate chip cookies were pesticide and chemical free. 

This green ethos extended to the vendors as well: I spent at least an hour weaving around tables hawking everything from homemade dog treats to locally-produced organic raw honey.  And the goods on display weren't just limited to edibles: one booth advertised non-toxic paint, and another enterprising vendor was selling reusable plastic bags made out of recycled #1 bottles. 

But like any good green festival, the meat and potat - er, seitan and brown rice of the Apeiron Festival was the array of workshops held throughout the day.  Water management, gardening, and sustainable building techniques all featured prominently in the schedule.  The first one that I attended was about bicycle commuting.  The presenter Jack Madden, the proprietor of a bike shop in Providence, offered advice on route-planning, clothing and equipment, and was more than happy to share maps and safety tips.  The second one was a roundtable-type forum on local food and farmer's markets in RI.  The discussion began with everyone in the room being invited to partake in locally-grown turnips, whose fresh and spicy taste somewhat comforted me while I listened to the presenters' ominous warnings about how Rhode Islanders will soon be growing their own food due to the inevitable collapse of the global economic system.  Dire predictions aside, the workshop participants managed to generate a lively discussion on the state of farmers' markets and local selling in Rhode Island, and it was particularly encouraging to learn that this movement is gaining traction in Rhode Island.

It's these types of discussions and presentations that make something like the Sustainable Living Festival so worthwhile.  I've been to much larger events, such as the Green Festival in Washington DC, but there's something much more gratifying about knowing that the people participating in these workshops also share the same tiny speck of land with me.  If even a festival in the country's smallest state can coax this many people into the middle of the woods and get them talking about green living, then maybe there's hope for everyone.  The Apeiron Institute seems so confident about this point that they're launching a program to make Rhode Island the first sustainable state in the nation.  Lucky for them, they seem to have more foot soldiers than I would have ever thought.

The rest of the day was equally enjoyable: petting dogs, listening to folk musicians rant and sing, and trying my hand at yoga alongside my father while trying to control my errant limbs (sorry Dad).  But the most valuable thing I took away from that day was learning how so many of my fellow Rhode Islanders were more green-minded than I would have given them credit for.  I was not only pleased, but humbled; my fellow citizens are already biking for forty five miles and making their own biodiesel out of vegetable oil salvaged from restaurants.  For a small state, us Rhode Island folk are setting the bar high, and painting it a bright shade of green.  (Using non-toxic paint, of course.)

Find out more:

• The Apeiron Institute
• Apeiron's Sustainable RI project
• Farm Fresh Rhode Island's listings for farmer's markets and local food