Bowie Green Expo Successful Despite Unpredictable Weather

With all the “green” buzzwords being thrown about these days, it’s hard to make sense of what it all means. This past weekend, the first Bowie Green Expo—hosted by the Bowie Lions Club, the City of Bowie and the Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce—gave attendees a chance to learn more about green living from local professionals.

Held at the Bowie Parks and Grounds building, the expo had vendors both inside and outside of the facility, which posed some issues Saturday due to weather.

Unpredictable rain cleared out the initial crowd before the skies opened up again, allowing the vendors to reopen and keep the event going. The event, which was scheduled to end at 4 p.m., was cut short by continued rain, forcing the outdoor vendors to pack up shop.

Leslie Mummert, a member of the City of Bowie Environmental Advisory Committee (EAC), said that the event attendance exceeded her expectations given the circumstances and that it was the first time the event was held.

She explained that the event was really an opportunity to educate people about changes they can make in their lives to lessen their impact on their environment, and how to find the products and services available to make those changes possible.

“Some of the things that city residents and government can focus on are increasing recycling, decreasing water use and fertilizer and pesticide use—for the Chesapeake Bay and Patuxent River—and learning to be more energy efficient,” said Mummert.

The current and former EAC council liaisons—Henri Gardner and Diane Polangin, respectively—were also in attendance at the event.

“It’s just wonderful to see so many people turn out and be really genuinely interested in being a little greener,” said Polangin of the event and the turnout despite the unpredictable weather.

Gardner, Bowie’s most recently appointed councilmember, said, “for me honestly, it’s just a total educational experience.”

Gardner said he will participate in an energy audit from Infrared Tools Energy Services, who had a booth at Saturday’s expo.

Tom Boyer, the company's president, stressed the importance of keeping things as local as possible, even energy audits. He said with all of the energy auditing companies in the area, travelling far distances to service customers has a negative impact with pollution and energy associated with travel.

The expo also brought recycled art in the form of spare bike parts transformed into creative clocks by Charlie Dodge Creations.

Charlie Dodge, bicyclist with the Annapolis Bicycle Club and machinist and welder for 50 years, said that he “just kind of put the two together.”

Dodge owns an auto repair shop, so he already had all the equipment needed and said he uses one of the five repair bays as a studio for his unique works of art.

Dodge said he collects parts that bike shops in Annapolis and Crofton would normally throw out and uses his experience in the shop to sculpt them into different designs to incorporate the clock.

He has items in some shops in Annapolis, but said he mostly goes to craft shows and expos like the one held in Bowie on Saturday. An avid gardener, Dodge said he mostly works on them in winter when he can’t work on his green thumb.

“It’s not a money-maker, but it keeps me off the street,” he said.

Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Infrared Tools Energy Services provides energy audits as mentioned by Councilmember Gardner.