Roseville ? Living green for 10,000 years

The city of Roseville has been making headlines recently with our efforts to become a more energy efficient and earth-friendly community. We recognize the importance of living in a sustainable way that is more in balance with our available resources. This timeless wisdom was known and practiced by the indigenous people who lived in our area for thousands of years and is being reinvented in new ways today. The city of Roseville offers several programs where you can learn about sustainability, from the Native American perspective at the Maidu Interpretive Center and Historic Site in East Roseville to a technology perspective at the Roseville Utility Exploration Center in West Roseville (opening Jan. 27, 2008). Both facilities are recruiting and will begin training volunteers soon to teach schoolchildren, parents and the public about "living green."At the Maidu Interpretive Center, "living green" translates into knowledge of plant, animal and stone resources and energies and how indigenous people used and honored these entities for their gifts of medicine, food, tools, baskets and houses. Native societies thrived for 7,000 to 10,000 years in Roseville and throughout California until European occupation, a long period in which to test the sustainability of their land management practices. The Roseville Utility Exploration Center will offer information on energy and water conservation, recycling and wise resource use and energy-efficient building design to help guide our personal choices toward more sustainable lifestyles. We must take lessons from both the ancients and the best minds of today to build a modern version of sustainability that will last for the next 10,000 years. Become a volunteer and help us spread the word to our fellow citizens. Whether your interests are oriented toward native culture and gaining personal knowledge of the natural world, or with energy and conservation, you will find a home volunteering with the city of Roseville.Volunteering provides many benefits, including gaining and sharing new knowledge, meeting others with similar interests, teaching and mentoring children and adults, expressing yourself creatively, becoming a leader and knowing that you are making worthwhile contributions to enhance the lives of others.For more information about volunteering at the Roseville Utility Exploration Center, call 746-1550 or visit www.roseville.ca.us/explore. For more information about volunteering at the Maidu Interpretive Center, call 774-5934, or visit www.roseville.ca.us/indianmuseum. Volunteer training sessions begin Wednesday, Sept. 12.