Healthy Air Workshop

Who: Free and open to adults and families with children ages 5+, RSVP encouraged to Caitie at dwyer-huppert@ mountgrace.org or 978-541-1779

Where: Mount Grace Conservation Barn, 1461 Old Keene Road, Athol

When: Saturday, May 17^th 10-11:15 a.m.

Description: Come learn about air quality - including how air quality is measured and how to keep ourselves and our communities healthy! Chrissy Larson, a Senior Environmental Educator at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, will lead this family-friendly workshop. The workshop will include building models of air cleaners that we’ll put to the test by measuring how well they filter candle smoke using a real Purple Air sensor. Participants may also learn how to make their own DIY air cleaner, an effective way to cleanse the air in your home with a box fan and furnace filter.

Chrissy will share how The Healthy Air Network, an air quality monitoring system throughout Massachusetts, provides real-time local air quality data to help us take actions to safeguard our health when necessary. Chrissy supported the expansion of the Healthy Air Network in the North Quabbin. She manages the placement and maintenance of ten sensors in both urban and rural settings in our region - one of which she recently installed on the side of Mount Grace’s Skyfield’s office. Many organizations collaborate in The Healthy Air Network. Partners include the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Millers River Education Center, Seeds of Solidarity Education Center, North Quabbin Public Health Collaborative, Public Health Institute of Western Mass, and Yale School of Public Health.

Chrissy holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Education and Early Childhood and has worked in the field of Outdoor Education since 1997. In addition to her work with the Healthy Air Network, Chrissy focuses on nature connection with ages 0-5 and supporting youth climate initiatives at the Hitchcock Center.