Festival generates sustainable fun

Live music, sustainability workshops and environmentally-themed carnival games put an entertaining spin on green living during the Nov. 11 Thrive Austin Festival held at the Pine Street Station in downtown Austin.

The festival, which was a collaboration among the Amala Foundation, the Sustainable Living Roadshow (SLR) and Go Local Austin, raised $3,000 for the Amala foundation, event organizers said. Amala is an international humanitarian service organization which runs youth summer camps and assists immigrant and refugee youth in Austin.

According to Amala Executive Director Ryan Jordan, as many as 3,000 refugees are relocated to Austin each year. Organizations such as Refugee Services of Texas refer many of the displaced youth to Amala.

"Amala endeavors to create a safe space for youth that have suffered abuse, war, neglect and religious persecution among other injustices," Jordan said.

"We follow up with the youth every six weeks, have talking circles [for them to express themselves] and provide opportunities for them to help others."

Festival attendee Anais Rose-Carter said that she has participated in several Amala camps and has volunteered with the group on numerous occasions. "When everyone comes together it's the best feeling ever," she said. "You know you're helping people and changing the world."

Also concerned with global impact is festival co-sponsor SLR. Based in Oakland, California, SLR consists of

volunteers who have spent the past four months traveling the country in a caravan of two biodiesel (vegetable oil) fueled buses in order to raise awareness of sustainable practices and other social issues.

SLR volunteer Sirraum Nash said during its current tour, the group has engaged in anti-fracking protests, visited Occupy movements in Washington D.C. and Ashville, North Carolina and has participated in a march against genetically modified foods.

The group's mission is to promote sustainable solutions to everyday problems,

according to SLR co-founder and fleet manager Jonathan Youtt.

In keeping with the group's message of sustainability, Youtt set up portable solar panels that powered the lights that illuminated the festival's outdoor activities, including the environmentally-themed carnival games.

The games consisted of an alternative fuels beanbag toss in which players knocked over boards picturing conventional energy sources to reveal environmentally-friendly alternatives. Another game consisted of timed free throws where players shot newspaper

and plastic bottles through basketball hoops into recycle bins.

"The fair is great and teaches kids a lot," said twelve-year-old Andre Reign, who participated in the alternative fuels game.

According to Erin Hickok, of Go Local Austin, supporting local products can reduce fossil fuel usage. Hickock said promoting locally owned, independent businesses rather than big chain stores is beneficial to the local economy.

"Supporting local businesses creates more jobs, keeps more money circulating locally and keeps Austin unique," she said. "That's what the keep Austin

weird movement is all about." Dani Slabaugh, owner of Yard to Table Gardens, takes the local movement

even further by promoting home vegetable gardens. At the festival she planted a food forest, which is an intensive perennial garden that mimics the patterns of nature. Slabaugh teaches classes on gardening, water conservation and composting, and said she participated in the festival to she advocate green living.

"It seems these guys are not just about changing light bulbs, but going further," Slabaugh said, "and I am all about sustainable living."