Conway - A large group met Monday night at the Faulkner County Library to work toward planning a fun, interactive event that will be Eco Fest.

Debbie Plopper, special projects manager for Conway Sanitation, said "Eco-Librium" is a key word for the event because the planners want to present all sides of green issues and how they relate to one another.

Those present Monday night formed smaller groups to address several topics. The smaller groups will continue to meet and plan for the festival, which will be Sept. 12 at Conway's Laurel Park.

Pamela Mosley of Faulkner County Supporters of Sustainable Communities said, "We want it to be real interactive. A place to learn a place to be outside to connect with other viewpoints."

Plopper said she first realized the value of hands-on learning 24 years ago when she took her niece to a children's museum in Los Angeles. She said she is not sure which of them had the better time that day.

"Sometimes adults are harder to reach," she said.

She hopes to make the festival enjoyable for everyone and "intergenerational," she said.

"We're doing it in a non-traditional way," Plopper said. "If they come for the cardboard car show or the walk-through Lorax (based on the Dr. Seuss book), chances are they're going to be drawn into something else. I'm looking for musicians, jugglers I think the arts are very important to incorporate into everything, because it makes it more interesting, less dry.

"We're really trying to let people use their own passion. Energy issues will be a focus, but there will still be a balance."

Keith Jones of Conway was among those in the group addressing food issues, agriculture, horticulture and beautification. He said one idea the group had was a taste comparison between locally grown vegetables and those purchased at a store.

Charlotte Nabholz of Conway was heading up a discussion in the recycling, waste and litter group. She said they were considering a exhibit that would attract children, because the parents will go where the children go.

"The children educate their parents so much in this area anyway," Nabholz said. "(People) know they've got to pay to get stuff, but they don't realize what it costs to get rid of stuff. It costs a lot of money, and that is up to the individual citizen to consider when they are deciding to buy it."

Wes Pruitt said his group discussed a "business crawl" that would encourage festival-goers to visit local businesses that meet certain eco-friendly standards. Another group plans an exhibit on simple ways to make a home environmentally friendly.

Following the group discussions, everyone came together to share their ideas.

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(By Rachel Parker Dickerson, Log Cabin Staff Writer.)

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