College of the Canyons officials are hosting their second annual Green Up: Community Action and Education conference on Oct. 18 to promote water and energy sustainability efforts.

Presented by the SCV Family of Water Suppliers and the Santa Clarita Environmental Education Consortium (SCEEC), the free conference will include green panels, workshops, vendors and children’s activities, according to a COC news release.

“The health of our environment is our common future,” said Dr. Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine, COC instructor and vice chair of the SCEEC advisory board, in an earlier interview. “The SCEEC was established with a sole purpose to serve the Santa Clarita Valley by helping foster a better environmental future for all.”

The event’s panels and workshops will focus on green careers, architecture and business education, while vendors are set to display environmentally conscious products for home use.

Discussion topics scheduled for the evening include lawn replacement and sustainable landscaping strategies, water and energy conservation strategies, sustainability in academia, non-toxic pest control and sustainability in theory and action.

Dan Masnada, general manager of Castaic Lake Water Agency, is set to deliver the day’s keynote address, when he will address the drought and its effects on Santa Clarita.

SCEEC is an initiative by COC that operates as a private-public partnership with a mission to promote environmental literacy throughout the Santa Clarita Valley, according to the news release.

The organization is dedicated to promoting sustainability awareness and practices both on campus and in the community by hosting events and activities that help teachers and community members become more involved with environmental issues.

Green Up is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 at the Dianne G. Van Hook University Center located on the college’s Valencia campus.

While the conference is free and open to the public, attendees can register in advance online to reserve their spot.