Page 61 - Reggae Festival Guide Magazine 2019

reach beyond the festival itself, Cali Roots

partners with the Redwood Forest Foundation

to plant two redwood trees for every Redwood

VIP ticket sold, and has pledged to plant over
2,400 redwood seedlings in 2019.

To reduce plastic waste, the festival also works

with REVERB and Nalgene to offer music fans an

alternative to single-use bottles – REVERB brings

the water stations and staff to run the program

and Nalgene provides custom-made reusable
bottles. In the last four years, Cali Roots has

diverted over 158,000 plastic bottles from the

landfill, and through its own Steel Pint Program

implemented in 2013, close to 250,000 plastic

cups have been diverted as well.

Festival Co-Producer Dan Sheehan shares, “My
family and I reside in the Monterey area and we

value the environment not only for us, but for our To reduce plastic waste, Cali Roots works with REVERB and Nalgene

entire community and our children. Cali Roots to offer festival goers an alternative to single-use bottles.
Photo courtesy of the California Roots Music & Arts Festival
has a responsibility to educate and sustain an

environment for future generations of festival Families are encouraged to attend, with tickets
goers, fans and talent.” free for those under 16. Mazza hopes that once
inside, they will utilize the Youth Village, a hub
In Ithaca, NY, the reggae community surrounds for education about the local environment. “We

a precious natural resource, Cayuga Lake. can preach about being stewards of the lake,

When he created Ithaca Reggae Fest in 2017, but it’s the youth that will carry that on after us.”

Michael Mazza knew a concert was a great fit

for the town and was inspired to combine the In its first two years, the festival has been able
festival with efforts to protect and restore the to invest in the future by raising over $10,000

lake, even planning the concert to take place in donations to local water-focused groups,

by the water. The concert has a strict no-plastic including a $7,500 matching donation towards

policy, down to their silverware and plates, with the Discover Cayuga Lake - Floating Classroom

every vendor. Volunteers staff the refuse area, – a boat that takes students out on the water
giving information on what is truly recyclable or with teachers to help them understand the

compostable, helping items avoid the landfill. environment and its needs.

A primary focus of the festival is the Education The Great Blue Heron Music Festival in Sherman,

Village, where a group of dedicated water NY, also promotes environmental education,

protectors, scientists and community activists sustainability and stewardship. Its Earth

join to discuss and educate about the protection Stewardship Tent hosts a variety of earth-
and restoration of the health of Cayuga Lake. centered activities, speakers and informational

Reggae Festival guide 2019 61