An event celebrating Bermuda’s “growing commitment to sustainability, natural wellness and environmental innovation” is to return next month.

Greenrock’s second annual Living Green Expo is scheduled to take place from 10am to 6pm on November 23 at the Bermuda Botanical Gardens.

It will include a host of environmentally focused vendors and organisations, family-friendly activities, artistic performances and educational talks and demonstrations.

Introducing the line-up, Eugene Dean, the executive director of Greenrock, said the expo aimed to deliver something bigger and better than the first event held in Dockyard last year.

He hopes to double the number of attendees after the 2024 event attracted between 1,200 and 1,500 people.

Speaking at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute this afternoon, Mr Dean added that the expo was intended as “a catalyst for change”.

“This initiative is designed to represent the interests of the country as a whole,” he said.

“We talk a lot about the loss of nature and wildlife and biodiversity. The increase in waste and pollution. The need for more natural food and the chemicalisation of our food systems and agriculture.

“We're constantly on the hunt for solutions and this whole initiative is solution driven.

“It's meant to be an immersive experience that allows everyone who participates to feel what it’s like to live naturally and think sustainably.”

Organisers and vendors provided details of their offerings.

Representatives attending from environmentally focused groups included the BUEI; Keep Bermuda Beautiful; the Bermuda National Trust; Bermuda Is Love; the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Taskforce; and Greenrock.

Kim Smith, the executive director for BEST, said the charity hoped to learn more about what environmental issues stood out as top concerns to the public.

“In Bermuda, there are a lot of them and we are happy to assist you in finding ideas or solutions for impacting those environmental threats,” she said.

She highlighted BEST’s advocacy for banning single-use plastics in Bermuda as a standout issue.

Ms Smith said the charity was eagerly awaiting the first tranche of products to be put to Parliament for a ban — a move that she said was meant to have gone ahead in September.

She added: “We know there is the need for development but we expect that to be sustainable, intentional and thoughtful, and that is what we are asking each and every one of us to do — to consider our actions.

“Our work seeks to inspire greater awareness and appreciation for the natural world and how human activities need to be organised and designed to exist more in harmony with nature as opposed to in competition with it.”

Other issues close to the charity include the use of pesticides, sustainable water management and zoning to protect land.

Hannah Horsefield, of the BUEI, said the organisation was pleased to partner with Greenrock on the event and support its mission “to inform the public of sustainable lifestyle choices that are both economically and ecologically sound for a better Bermuda”.

She said the BUEI booth would provide education on important marine topics, including coral health and the threat of plastic pollution. The BUEI will also facilitate the creation of a collaborative plastic mural made from trash.

Malachi Symonds, an organic farmer and owner of Just A Farmer, said he was looking for farmers to bring produce for sale.

The Department of Energy will have a stall at the expo and showcase zero-emission vehicles.

There will be yoga, pilates and Qi-gong demonstrations that the public can join, as well as pony rides, a petting zoo and entertainment and nature-based films.

Mr Dean said the aim was to remind the community to reduce, reuse and recycle, and to inspire “nature-positive action”.

He added: “All in all, we're hoping to inspire innovation and new ideas.”

The expo is to lead by example by minimising single-use plastics, with vendors using ceramic plates and metal cutlery, and encouraging attendees to bring reusable drink bottles and food containers.

Guests will be ferried from Hamilton using an electric bus courtesy of the Department of Public Transportation.

All food sold will be plant-based, while trash will be separated and recycled where possible.

Mr Dean said the community had several options for lending support, including signing up as a vendor, providing financial backing and volunteering or registering for events including a 5k run and 25k cycle race or bike ride.

There will be a live stream available at www.greenrock.org

Anyone interested in participating can contact Greenrock.