Green Living Education Flourishes In Keys

In just three years, the Green Living and Energy Education (GLEE) organization has grown from a small grassroots effort into a well-organized non-profit organization. The group's achievements include hosting a topnotch Energy Expo in March 2005, creating the GreenThumb Certified Nursery program, holding Rain Barrel Workshops, increasing sustainability awareness and promotion among the local utilities, and planning an even bigger and better Expo this spring.

The initial idea that sparked the conception of GLEE originated from Key Largo resident Diane Marshall. After attending sustainable living fairs from California to Florida and building her own "green" home with her husband John Hammerstrom, Marshall understood the value in "green" education. She took her idea to hold a local education event to the Monroe County Extension Service because a member of the Sarasota Extension had provided inspiration for her own green home. Marshall also began contacting other environmentalist groups and individuals like FKEC Environmental Affairs Manager Dr. Deb Shaw.

"I may have started the effort to bring sustainable living information to the Keys, but from that point on, it was totally a group effort," Marshall said. "It couldn't have been done without the dedication of the Extension, in particular Cristina Lindley; FKEC; FKAA; and the South Florida Water Management District."

The initial goal of the group was to hold a sustainability fair to educate Monroe County's population on "green" living – energy efficiency, conservation, etc. Once that goal was achieved, the group turned its efforts to offering ongoing green education to our community – residents, businesses and government – and then formed committees dedicated to the different areas of sustainable living, which are illustrated in the diagram below.