Cobb County’s EV Bookmobile will be at the Expo. Photo courtesy of Cobb County Fleet

By Kate Brainerd

The future of the humble, yet mighty, bee is at risk. The good news is that residents of Cobb County can do something to help.

At the 2025 Cobb County Sustainability Expo, Wednesday, April 30, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Jim Miller Park Event Center, attendees will learn how to build garden- and yard-friendly bee habitats which help bees survive and thrive. Made from natural materials, the structures mimic native habitats and support bee populations which are vital pollinators of the world’s edible crops.

“This year, one of the exciting interactive exhibits is ‘How to Build a Bee Hotel,’” said Kimberly White, Expo host and chief sustainability officer for the Cobb County Sustainability, Waste and Beautification Department.

“We will have two environmental educators, Hayley Dowell and Elise McDonald, who will demonstrate how to build a bee hotel. It’s a simple wooden structure that provides a safe space for bees to nest and lay eggs. And at the end of the Expo, the bee hotel will be raffled off to one lucky participant.”

Expo attendees can talk with county officials and environmental experts who will share strategies and ideas on sustainable initiatives. Events include an EV Roadshow of county electric vehicles, vendor demonstrations of sustainable products and services, panel discussions and hands-on exhibits.

“We will have an array of EVs at the Expo,” Cobb County Director of Fleet Management Al Curtis said. “There will be cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, even e-bikes. People can look inside and under the hoods at the EV power-trains. We’ll have placards on the windshields with specific information, including range.”

All the vehicles on display are in the Cobb County fleet, one of the largest EV fleets in the Southeast. “These vehicles include the Chevrolet Brightdrop, Blazer and Bolt, Nissan Aryia and the Ford Lighting. All have ranges that support the department’s needs so we can adequately serve Cobb County citizens,” Curtis added.

“This Expo is one of many public-facing components of the Office of Sustainability. It works in conjunction with our Keep Cobb Beautiful program which has been doing valuable work for more than 40 years. It is a tremendous resource for the state and all the communities in Cobb County,” White said.

Keep Cobb Beautiful, part of the Keep America Beautiful network, is one of the county operations that promote the beautification and stewardship of communities through litter prevention, recycling and environmental education.

Terri Carter from the Cobb County Extension Services will be at the Expo to answer questions and discuss the best ways to grow a sustainable garden. “I plan to tell people my gardening story, I’m a master gardener and I will share advice on how to grow from seeds to table,” Carter said. “We don’t talk enough about the environmental impacts on seed sustainability. People don’t know that we’ve lost almost 85% of our seed diversity. I hope to educate the next generation about how to grow your own garden and protect seeds for future generations.”

“There will be vendor booths during the entire event, and they will surround the three main events on the center stage,” White said. “At 5 p.m. there is a panel discussion, including local officials and sustainability experts. They will discuss environmental partnerships, measures and initiatives across Atlanta; at 6 p.m. there will be a comprehensive presentation and a Q&A with the public about the federal grant awarded to Cobb County to finalize and implement our sustainability plan; and finally at 7 p.m. we will have an award show to honor the Civic Group of the Year, and multiple special appreciation awards.”

County officials attending the event include Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, District 1 Commissioner Keli Gambrill, District 3 Commissioner JoAnne K. Birrell, District 4 Commissioner Monique Sheffield representing Austell, Powder Springs and Mableton.

The Cobb County Sustainability Expo debuted in 2024 with 20 vendors. This year more than 40 vendors will have booths including My Green Earth, Ripple Glass, GFL Environmental, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Native Plant Society, Mulberry & Muscadine, Lifecycle Building Center, Southface Institute, Smurfit Westrock and ParkENT.

KSU’s Office of Sustainability will have a booth where participants can learn about projects that have improved sustainability outcomes on campus and in the community through education, training, and engagement.

“We are going to share our stories of sustainable outreach, projects that have made a difference,” KSU Director of Sustainability María del Mar Ceballos said. “Our goal is to inspire folks to create their own sustainable plans or to partner with KSU. We have a lot of students who like to get out into the community to research and build experiential learning opportunities.”

One of the university’s successful programs is Owl Swap. A three-year-old program which expanded this year to partner with the non-profit Haven of Help and two local high schools. Owl Swap administrator, Lauren Hughes will be at the KSU booth to explain the project’s impact and how it works.

“Owl Swap began as a research project from the Department of Geography and Anthropology,” Ceballos explains. “It addresses issues of environment and social equity in the fashion industry. We realized our students are constantly buying and disposing of clothes. So instead of sending the unwanted clothes to a landfill, we created Owl Swap. A free shop on campus where students can trade, donate or just get clothes for free.

Now, this little project has created this fascinating community of people exchanging and donating clothes, which is sustainable. Throwing clothes away is not sustainable,” Cabellos said.

“The 2025 Expo is a fantastic opportunity for the public to interact with various county departments and local institutions and businesses,” White said. “We want to encourage everyone to come to this free event and learn about sustainability. This is a fun, easy way to get involved and contribute to our goals as a county.”

Jim Miller Park and Event Center, 2245 Callaway Rd. SW, Marietta, Georgia, 30008

Cobb County’s EV Bookmobile will be at the Expo. Photo courtesy of Cobb County Fleet

Kate Brainerd is a student at Kennesaw State University.