Hope Township School on Johnsonburg Road always has lessons to offer the interested learner. Last Saturday, April 26, the lessons were a little different than usual: What can you plant to support native pollinators? What should you do if you see a black bear? And what’s New Jersey’s official state butterfly?
More than 400 people from about 50 nearby towns attended Hope’s 12th annual Green Fair, hosted in the school’s bustling auditorium. More than 40 vendors and local organizations had set up booths offering merchandise and educational displays that answered these and other sustainability-minded questions.
(In case you’re wondering, the answers are: plant native species and avoid mowing your lawn shorter than four inches; make yourself bigger, slowly back away, and don’t feed it; the black swallowtail.)
From Humble Beginnings to a Town-Wide Celebration
The event is the product of the minds, sweat and, possibly, tears of the Hope Environmental Commission, whose members have grown the Green Fair significantly since its start in 2014. That year, the fair consisted of three tables in a single room at the municipal hall, according to Commission Chair Monica Sobon.
This year’s fair was just one part of a larger Sustainability Day initiative. In addition to the fair, other events for the ecologically aware included a crafts fair at the Community Center, an art show at the Moravian Distillery, and a town-wide yard sale.
Hands-On Fun and Eco-Friendly Finds
At the Green Fair, attendees could enter free raffles, participate in a scavenger hunt for children, drop off ancient Walkmans and other old electornics at a visiting e-waste truck, chow down at a local food truck and join free gardening workshops.
The event takes considerable effort to organize, Sobon said, but she enjoys seeing the vendors, organizations and attendees network around their shared interest in the environment. “We’re trying to bring a sense of community with a sustainable flair,” she said.
Hope may be a small town — with a population just under 2,000 — but it is one of only two municipalities in Warren County recognized by Sustainable Jersey’s Municipal Certification Program, an honor that it shares with Washington Township.
Vendors and local organizations brought enough energy to fill several auditoriums — sustainably, of course.
The event reflects strong local support for environmental awareness. According to Hope Environmental Commission Vice Chair Ellen Benoit, the fair has also received considerable support from the mayor and township committee. “We’re very lucky, because I know that isn’t true for everybody, but I’m really grateful they give us a lot of support,” she said. “They make it easy for us.”
Local Students and Groups Lend Their Talents
Students from Ridge and Valley Charter School also contributed. Two eighth graders showed handcrafted items including bookmarks made from pressed flowers and finger-crocheted cloth. Some items were sold to raise funds, including a wooden paint palette that featured all-natural pigments — black paint made from charred and ground-up bones, and yellow paint from goldenrod.
Kiddos explored hands-on interactive activities from Kaleidoscope Enrichment, Dove Environmental Education and Warren County Park Naturalist Jennifer Correa-Kruegel.
Meanwhile, parents could shop for locally sourced honey from Bert Haderer’s Bee to the Honey, browse potted perennials from Sunrise Farms or pick up free books courtesy of the Book Nook.
“We tried to give it such variety,” Sobon said. “Between tomatoes and honey, what do you need?”
Support for Sustainability, From Town Hall to Backyard Gardens
Hope Mayor Timothy McDonough praised the event’s role in demonstrating the dedication of the Hope residents to sustainability. “It just shows you what people can do and when you come together,” he said.
Those efforts come amid ongoing national debate over climate policy. “With what’s happening in Washington, there’s a tremendous amount of uncertainty with where we’re going [regarding] climate change and environmental issues,” McDonough said. “So it shows there’s something that we can do right here, in little Hope Township, that may be able to help in terms of the future of our kids.”
Chip O'Chang is an educator, fiction writer, and lifelong resident of New Jersey. He has also written for My Life Publications and NJ Indy. He lives in the NJ Skylands with his partner, two cats, and and a bearded dragon.
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
- Chip O'Chang, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/chip-ochang-contributing-writer/
