Rain no problem at Schaumburg Earth Day Party

Celebrating our planet means not only reveling in the glorious weather that greeted Earth Day events across the suburbs Saturday, but appreciating Mother Nature when she makes gathering outdoors a little more challenging.

Such was the case Sunday, when an early afternoon downpour forced the Schaumburg Park District's Earth Day Party indoors at the Spring Valley Nature Center.

It was there that visitors got an up-close look at a barn owl, brought to the party by volunteers from Wings and Talons, a suburban organization that provides care for and educates the public about raptors - or, as they like to say, "nature's fighter jets."

"What we try to do with this event is provide families, primarily, but anybody, with some fun and simple suggestions on ways that they can do things at home to help protect the environment," said David Brooks, manager of conservation services for the Schaumburg Park District. "But the ideal that we encourage people to strive for is Earth Day every day. It's important to think about protecting the environment every day of the year, not just once a year."