ARC Annual Conference
Tour Information

Monday, May 12

Networking Zephyr - Leave the station at 9:00 AM; Return at 11:00 AM
Plan to join your friends, old and new, for a two hour ride through the mountains for fun and sustainability networking. Boarding will begin at 8:30 AM.

Sustainability includes "thinking outside the box" so in addition to more traditional recycling facilities, these tours also offer some unique sites to get you thinking about recycling a community.

Tour #1

Branson - Leave at 12:30; Return at 5:00
Visit the Branson Public Works offices which are located in the core of a million gallons water tower (the only one in Missouri) and a former limestone quarry which now serves as a data storage center for documents from around the world. View the Branson Recycle Center which serves as a regional processing facility for two counties and nine communities and the second satellite Household Chemical Facility in Missouri. Experience the Branson Yardwaste Facility demonstrating the successful partnering of a private contractor and a municipality. Learn from Reeds Spring High School which has an in-vessel composting facility that has received state recognition. The students will conduct the tour and tell you how to get students on board with environmental awareness and action. Visit a 130 acre wilderness area in the heart of Branson which will always remain undeveloped and is located on the central trail system for Stone and Taney Counties.

Tour # 2

Springfield - Leave at 12:30; Return at 5:00
Discover how electronics recycling is done with a visit to Computer Recycling, Inc. Learn about the Jordan Creek North Branch Daylighting Project and the Springfield Trail System. Tour Jordan Valley Park and Center City, a nationally recognized Brownfields revitalization project with an old feed mill and a creamery which have been recycled into completely new uses and includes a stop at new loft apartments. Explore the Discovery Center, a fabulous science museum which is a LEED Certified Gold building with a Green Roof. Become informed about Springfield's Noble Hill Landfill Renewable Energy Center and the city's integrated Solid Waste Management System.