St. Charles Park District keeps it local at Earth Day Festival 2009
With soaring gas prices, potholes and traffic jams, getting around by car just isn't what it used to be. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way you and your family could head out and have fun, without the hassles of driving a great distance? The St. Charles Park District has the perfect solution: Earth Day Festival 2009.
This year's festival activities will take place, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18 at the district's scenic Campton Hills Park. Admission is free.
"We've taken the blueprint for last year's event, which was a great success, and added a number of new attractions," said Pam Otto, manager of nature programs for the park district. "We've worked hard to create an event that not only will appeal to the entire family, but also will highlight our theme of 'Keeping It Local,' which celebrates the fact that you don't have to go far to have fun."
Less driving brings plenty of benefits, both for consumers and the Earth itself. Besides saving on gas, "keeping it local" can help area residents reduce noise and air pollution, greenhouse gases and chemical runoff into our many waterways. Carpooling to the event will increase these advantages even more.
The Earth Day Festival activities kick off at 10 a.m. and feature homegrown fun for all. Build a birdhouse with help from the carpentry experts at Home Depot, and plant a seed in your very own take-home container with the folks from the Geneva Green Market. Have a gardening question? Find the answer by paying a visit to the University of Illinois Extension Service Master Gardeners table.
Enjoy a hike that will offer a chance to really connect with the earth, through ecological restoration. Student and scout groups seeking service projects, as well as individuals who want to make a difference in their community, are all invited to lend a hand pulling garlic mustard and cutting buckthorn.
The afternoon also will offer plenty of opportunities to learn about our local ecology. Take an eco-tour of Campton Hills Park aboard a hay wagon pulled by handsome Belgian draft horses, Bob and Tom, from Primrose Farm. Throughout the afternoon, entertainment will be provided by the rhythmic touch from members of the Fox Valley Drum Circle. Enjoy stories, games and other family-friendly activities from the Nature Zone. New this year, bring a nonperishable item to donate to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. For details on this year's Earth Day Festival, contact Pam Otto at the St. Charles Park District, (630) 513-4346.