For the 2nd year the Portsmouth Sustainability Fair is offering “The Sustainability at Home Tour” on Saturday May 15 from 10 am to 2 pm. The tour has 9 sites including homes, restaurants and organizations in the Portsmouth area that are currently utilizing sustainable practices in building materials, energy use, conservation and storm water management practices. Home and business owners are showing increasing interest in sustainable practices for both the positive environmental benefits and because they know that these practices can save money, too. Making the switch to a sustainable practice is best done when you are well informed about the practice and what better way to find out than by talking to your neighbors and friends who are utilizing these systems.

Among the 4 private homes you will see a solarium where vegetables are grown year round, a restored home in the South End with a unique method of adding insulation, a restored home using non-toxic, reclaimed and sustainable materials and a newly built LEED certified home. There will be 2 restaurants: Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café with excellent waste disposal and 2 Ceres St., host of “Green Drinks”, with high use of sustainable materials. Also included are the Hodgson Brook Restoration project, a neighborhood with a great drainage system, the Portsmouth LEED certified Public Library and the Portsmouth Farmer’s Market.

The tour will be informative as well as fun and will help you move to a more sustainable life style. Perhaps you will consider showcasing your sustainable practices in the tour next year.

“The Sustainability at Home Tour” information and brochure will be available at the Farmer’s Market (City Hall Parking lot) and at the Home Tour booth (Middle School, Portsmouth) during the Sustainability Fair on May 8. On May 15th the brochure will be available at the Farmer’s Market and the Portsmouth Public Library. The brochure will also be available on the Sustainability Fair web site (portsmouthsustainabilityfair.org) as a PDF that you can print out at home.

There is a one-time suggested donation of $10 for the tour to support the Sustainability Fair which would be appreciated at any of the tour sites(except the Library). Enjoy the tour!