MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM — Visitors to the Western Development Museum on Saturday had a chance to learn about something a little different than the usual transportation-based fare the local facility has to offer.
Thanks to a collaboration with the Saskatchewan Environmental Society, patrons were able to stop by a series of displays that are part of the Smarter Science, Better Buildings program, offering all sorts of information on modern homes and energy efficiency.
“It’s usually only available to Grade 7 students who book it, but we decided to open it up to the public so everyone could have a chance to see what it’s about,” said Alexis Jones WDM programs and volunteer coordinator. “It talks about innovative designs and what you can do to be environmentally efficient in your own home, and they just had some new updates, too, including a station covering heating and cooling. There’s quite a bit of information here.”
The displays featured models and samples of energy-efficient items and designs, showing not only how and why the various aspects worked, but also offering tips on how to put them to use.
As an example, one station talked about retrofitting homes to modern standards, touching how things were in the 1880s with sod homes and how much things have changed in that regard.
Stations also covered solar energy, lighting and appliances, modern water systems and a look at a net-zero home, which actually puts energy back into the grid as opposed to consuming it.
It’s all about exposing young and old alike to the newest trends in modern home efficiency, something that many might not have been aware of. That kind of public education falls under the plan of the Saskatchewan Environmental Society.
The goal of the SES, according to its mission statement, is help achieve a high level of environmental sustainability through public education, policy development, and sponsored events in the community.
“We are the voice for the environment that the public depends on,” the organization states.
The program will be in Moose Jaw for the next two weeks for use by schools.
For more on what the SES has to offer and what they’re about, visit www.environmentalsociety.ca, and to keep up to date on the Western Development Museum, follow them on Facebook and check out their website at www.wdm.ca.
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