On April 21, folks gathered at the annual Iron Range Earth Fest. This community event brought together three generations of Rangers. Their purpose was to learn more about building a sustainable economy, environment, and community—and to connect with one another. These energetic citizens actively enjoyed their day-long interaction in Mt. Iron!
The morning of Iron Range Earth Fest, the site was treated to snow squalls (which only matters if you hope to have 1,000 people show up). Well, the snow did not keep 1,200 folks from learning, sharing, and celebrating the traditions, foods, products, and services of their Range partners. The learning activities were spread out amongst three buildings in Mt. Iron: the city’s Community Center, Messiah Lutheran Church, and Merritt Elementary School.
The range of learning activities covered new products and services related to sustainability. There were a variety of exhibitors, vendors, and speakers to help citizens connect with more clean energy practices and more efficient living. Food, faith, and family groups seemed to be quite popular this year in addition to some innovative local energy technologies.
There was quite a buzz between the partners from Silicon Energy —the new PV manufacturer in Mt. Iron—and the nationally-certified Solar Photovoltaic Technician Program at Hibbing Community College. The community seems to appreciate how new technologies are bringing new courses and skills to the Range.
One of the most exciting elements of interaction at the Fest this year involved school kids. Jim DeVries of the Laurentian Environmental Learning Center worked with the region’s education leaders to organize the Green Inventors Fair. The goal of this planning was to honor the creativity and inventiveness of our region’s students. The Green Inventors numbered 80 students from 20 schools. Students were interviewed about how they turned an idea into a proposed invention. DeVries and the judges communicated that all students were winners just by completing their projects and presentations. Thanks to the generous support of Cliffs Natural Resources and a few Range business partners, awards were given to the first, second, and third teams in the judging process.
The Executive Director of the Iron Range Earth Fest, Ardi Nurmi-Wilberg, was gratified with the turn out—despite the snow. She stated, “We continue to receive high reviews from our guests as they repeatedly tell us about how much they learn and how they are inspired to make sustainability a bigger part of their lives.” Ardi and her planning partners are already preparing to build on this success for next year’s Fest!
