WHEELING, W.Va. -- Oglebay Institute’s Living Green Lecture Series can help consumers find simple ways to improve the environment.

"We want people to understand how even the easiest of tasks can make a huge impact," Eriks Janelsins, director of Oglebay Institute’s Schrader Center Environmental Education Center, said.

"Environmental preservation encompasses numerous complicated topics. Our Living Green series puts these concepts into layman’s terms and helps people incorporate eco-friendly practices into their everyday lives," he said.

The programs feature environmental science experts from throughout Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Each program includes a lecture, question and answer session and a coffee reception, following the presentation, for further discussion of the topic.

Topics include green consumerism, the benefits of organic foods, green building materials, renewable energy, creating backyard habitats, recycling and composting.

The free programs are open to the public and are held at 2 p.m. on select Sundays at the Schrader Environmental Education Center, located in Wheeling’s Oglebay Resort.

The series is sponsored by SMG Architects, a company committed to the creative reuse of existing buildings and new construction that respects natural resources, officials said.

The Schrader Environmental Education Center was constructed from 97% recycled materials including newspaper, plastic bottles, bus and tractor tires, and recycled aluminum cans.

The state-of-the-art center also includes many energy-saving features that reduce fossil fuel usage, officials said.

Each year thousands of students from pre-K through graduate school participate in hands-on classes, school programs, camping experiences and public events throughout the year.

Janelsins said the goal of the Schrader Center is to connect people to the natural world, which is good not only for humans, but also for the environment.

“It's simple- people conserve what they appreciate, they appreciate what they understand and they understand what they experience. Through education, research and service learning, we help people live green- everyday,” he said.

For a complete list of Living Green programs or more information on the Schrader Center, visit Oglebay Institute on the web at www.OIonline.com or call 304.242.6855.