South Sound Green Tour

Submitted by Jill Williams
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

South Sound Green Tour Returns to Olympia on Saturday, May 19th

This year the South Sound Green Tour is returning to Olympia on Saturday, May 19, 2018 from 11-5pm. If you are interested in learning more about eco-friendly living, sustainable building, remodeling and landscaping or looking to purchase a greener home, this tour is just for you.  The Tour will continue on Sunday, May 20th in Tacoma, with more of the South Sound’s best examples of green building and healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

This family-friendly, free, self-guided tour is the largest of its kind in the US and past tours have attracted more than 200 visitors per home. Sponsored and hosted by our local community, the South Sound Green Tour provides an opportunity meet with local sustainability leaders, homeowners and business owners ready to inspire with their green innovations, cost-saving measures, artistry and craftsmanship.

Seven Green Tour sites in Olympia and twelve in Tacoma include residential, multi-family, commercial and community spaces, including some of the best examples of green building and sustainable green living our community has to offer, not to mention some of the hottest smart trends on the market. Visit www.ssgreentour.org to see the Tour map.

Part of the line up this year, will be a community fair at the Tour’s “Low-Impact Hub” located at West Central Park at the corner of Harrison and Division on Olympia’s westside, with local green businesses and sustainability organizations sharing solutions with tables, booths and activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Chris van Daalen, Executive Director of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild and tour organizer, says this is a perfect fit. “The Park itself is a model of green remodeling and stormwater management, so visiting the Tour Hub is a great chance to learn about a bunch of solutions that homeowners and builders can use to save money while also saving salmon from polluted stormwater runoff.

From 2010 – 2012, the South Sound Green Tour was a perennial showcase of local green building leadership, but the Guild discontinued it as the Great Recession took its toll.  Van Daalen is excited to bring the Tour back because, he says “The downturn hit construction in our region hard, but our market is heating up again, which gives Olympia and Tacoma the chance to once again show our leadership in green job creation and eco-friendly living.  This Tour will be the first of many years to come, our goal to spark a new wave of green building here locally.”

South Sound Green Tour homes, buildings and businesses will be on display and staffed with experts from 11am – 5pm on May 19th in Olympia and on May 20th in Tacoma. For site details and locations, please visit www.ssgreentour.org.