Thirteen Dartmouth College students touring the nation on the Big Green Bus with the goal of building enthusiasm for community involvement through environmental action will make only one single stop in the state of Virginia. That stop will be at Staunton on Wednesday, June 20, 2012.
The 2012 tour is focused explicitly on inspiring grassroots action to address environmental issues and encourage sustainability at the community level. By becoming a vehicle for inspiration, the Big Green Bus aims to create a future that sustains people, the environment and the economy.
“It is surely a sign of the Staunton area’s leadership in local food and sustainable living, along with our community’s strong ethic of volunteerism, that the Big Green Bus chose Staunton as its only stop in Virginia,” said Lindsay Curren, co-founder of Transition Staunton Augusta.
Arriving in the late morning at the Wharf parking lot, the bus will open its doors to the public. Complete with appliances run by solar power, a recycling and compost station and an engine converted to run on waste vegetable oil, the bus exemplifies innovative ways to live sustainably. As a fun and interactive vehicle and living space, the Big Green Bus is designed for learning about energy use and facilitating discussion about local and national environmental issues.
In the afternoon, the bus will move to the Transition Staunton Augusta Community Garden in Staunton’s Newtown Historic District. There the students will install rain barrels donated by Tractor Supply and Valley Feed to help provide a water supply to the garden, which is not currently connected to Staunton’s water system. The students will also plant pumpkins and sunflowers and help improve the property, which has hosted vegetable garden plots since this spring.
The students will finish up the day with a potluck dinner with Newtown gardeners at the offices of the Staunton Creative Community Fund. That evening, the bus will depart to spend the night at Polyface Farms in Swoope.
The student-run initiative hit the road on June 13. Over the summer, the students will travel 12,000 miles through 30 states spending the summer engaging in dialogue, spreading innovation and inspiring community action – all on a waste vegetable oil (WVO)-powered coach bus.
This year, the students are on the road to ask questions, share ideas, and inspire people to get involved. Looking for green innovation, dialogue and mutual exchange, these passionate students are ready for a cross-country adventure in search of a sustainable future. Follow the bus this summer at
The Staunton visit is sponsored by Transition Staunton Augusta (
www.transitionstaunton.org) and the Staunton Creative Community Fund (www.stauntonfund.com).
On Wednesday, June 20 the Big Green Bus will be in Staunton at the Wharf parking lot from 11am to 2pm. Then, from 2pm to 5pm, the Bus will be at the Transition Staunton Augusta Newtown Community Garden at the corner of Beverley and Madison Streets. Both events are free, open to the public and kid-friendly. Call Lindsay Curren at 540-849-9061 for more information.
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