FARMINGTON – The opportunity to learn about alternative energy, building a solar home or participate in contractor certification workshops is available through the Maine Conservation Expo on April 22.

Registrations are needed by Friday to keep the classes available, said Rosetta Thompson from the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District, who is hosting the event.

Several seminars and workshops are planned from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. with participants able to sign up for as many classes as they wish. The expo will be held at the University of Maine at Farmington.

It is designed for municipal officers and employees, road and lake association members, camp owners, gardeners and the general public, she said.

Alternative energy seminars about how to build a solar home and wind power would be of interest to the average homeowner, she added.

Contractor certification and gravel road maintenance sessions will also be offered. The inventor of a piece of machinery, Front Runner, will attend to offer instruction. Once participants have taken the course, they can lease one of eight Front Runners available throughout the state for fixing gravel roads, she said. The course has to be taken before they can lease the equipment.

Other sessions include introductory and advanced GPS training, pond maintenance and construction, extending the growing season by using a greenhouse, buying local foods, home energy audits and tips, harvesting and storing produce, camp roads, identifying land uses that may impact ground water, watersheds, map and compass reading and legislation that will affect camp road owners and associations.

Normally offered every other year, the expo was canceled last year after organizers couldn’t get support, she said. The last expo was offered in 2006.

There is a $55 fee for contractor certification and gravel road maintenance sessions due to the length of the classes, but other classes are offered at $20 for one, $30 for two classes or $35 for three or more.

Whether the class is held will depend on interest, she said.

For more information or to preregister, contact FCSWCD at 778-4279 or [email protected] or visit www.franklincswcd.org