Green Home Tour is Saturday!

Don't forget to register for the 3rd New River Valley Green Home Tour!
The event is this Saturday, April 25th, from 9am to 5pm and includes 16 green buildings in Montgomery and Floyd Counties. Ed Tuchler from Shelter Alternatives will provide an overview of the buildings on the tour from 9-10am at the Y Center, 1000 North Main Street, Blacksburg. Refreshments will be served. Buildings will be open for touring from 10am-5pm. The tour is $15 per person. Register at the YMCA Open University or by calling 540-961-9622.

A free Green Building Expo will take place at the Y Center from 8am - noon. The NRV Green MOB hopes to see you there!

3rd New River Valley Green Home Tour - April 25th!

Do you want to: Save money on your energy bills? Adopt a more sustainable lifestyle? See green home features in action? Solicit constructive advice from some of the area's leading energy and environmental professionals? Learn how to do these things and more by participating in the NRV Green MOB's 3rd Annual Green Home Tour on April 25th. The tour begins with an orientation from 9-10am at the YMCA at Virginia Tech (1000 North Main St) and commencing with a tour of homes in Montgomery and Floyd Counties from 10am-5pm. The tour will highlight examples of green and energy efficient features at work in local homes including energy efficient design and construction, renewable energy systems, and incorporation of local or recycled building materials. On the day of the tour, local businesses and organizations related to green building will exhibit their goods and services at the YMCA from 8am-12pm. Register for the tour at the YMCA at Virginia Tech.


The Green Home Tour organizing committee is still seeking volunteers to help with the Green Home Tour on Saturday, April 25th. Volunteers may participate in the event free of charge. Please contact Susan Garrison at 558-0786 or by e-mail at sgarrison@blacksburg.gov to volunteer.

Rain Garden Class on April 17th

Rain Gardens: A Tool for Storm Water Management

Barry Robinson, Montgomery County Extension Agent for the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Kim Steika, Landscape Architecture Project Coordinator for the Community Design Assistance Center will demonstrate how rain gardens can serve as an effective tool for storm water management. Several examples from around Blacksburg will be discussed. Using material from the Virginia Department of Forestry’s Technical Guide to Rain Gardens, the instructors will cover basic components for rain garden design and implementation for a small-scale rain garden in your back yard. $20; includes a CD of the VDOF Technical Guide to Rain Gardens. Class is Friday, April 17 from 3:30 - 5pm at the Y Center. Register at the YMCA at Virginia Tech.

Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop

April 4, 9-1130am, at the Montgomery County Government Center in Christiansburg, the Community Design Assistance Center and Virginia Cooperative Extension partner together again to offer the 4th regional Build-Your-Own Rain Barrel workshop. Participants will learn about watersheds, how local measures can make local and regional impacts, and what low impact development tools can be used on their property. Participants will engage in hands-on construction of a barrel they can then take with them to begin reducing runoff and utilizing rainwater at home. The cost is $50 per barrel and includes all necessary supplies. It is suggested that participants bring work gloves and wear comfortable clothes that can get dirty. All other tools and supplies will be provided. Be sure the barrel will fit in your vehicle – approximate dimensions are 4’ x 2’ x 2’. $10; plus $50 supply fee for rain barrel to instructors. Register at the YMCA at Virginia Tech.

Green Construction from Design to Clean Up

Join Ed Tuchler of Shelter Alternatives, Beth Lohman of DEQ, and Justin Boyle of Green Valley Builders on Monday, March 23 from 6-9pm in learning about what should you consider when planning to build a green home. They’ll look at everything from site and form to construction details and material usage, including minimizing waste and what to do with the leftovers. $20. Register for the class at the VT YMCA Open University website.

Join Us On Facebook!

Help us to spread the word about the Green Home Tour by joining our new Facebook pages! One page is dedicated to the Green Home Tour while the other is for the NRV Green MOB. The more of you who become members of our pages, the more of your friends who will learn about the Green Home Tour. Then their friends will find out and so on and so on! We look forward to seeing you and your friends at the NRV Green Home Tour on April 25th and at the classes between now and then!

2 Green Home Tour Classes Rescheduled

For those of you interested in the Geothermal Heating and Cooling class and Green Construction: From Design to Clean Up class, these classes have been rescheduled due to inclement weather so there is still time to sign up!

Monday, March 9th from 6:30-8:30pm: Geothermal Heating and Cooling. Ground source heat pumps (GSHP) are one of the most efficient residential heating and cooling systems available today. They use the natural heat storage capacity of the earth or ground water to provide energy efficient heating and cooling. Ed Ricci has extensive experience in this technology and will help you determine if this technology is right for you and your home. Ed is the owner of Energy Management Services in Christiansburg.

Monday, March 23rd from 6-9pm: Green Construction: From Design to Clean Up. Ed Tuchler of Shelter Alternatives, Beth Lohman of DEQ, and Justin Boyle of Green Valley Builders will discuss what should you consider when planning to build a green home. They will look at everything from site and form to construction details and material usage, including minimizing waste and what to do with leftovers.

Sign up for these classes through the YMCA at Virginia Tech.