Earth Day celebration today at Rotary Park
Earth Day celebrations will take place in Cape Coral and Fort Myers today to bring environmental issues forward during an educational fun packed day.
An Earth Day celebration will be held in Cape Coral from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Rotary Park, which also will include a native plant sale.
Rachel Singletary, publicity chairperson of Florida Native Plant Society, said Rotary Park has had native plants for years, which makes it very easy for people to take a tour of the park and pick out what they would like for their own yard.
“We will have the plants for them to buy,” she said.
Other information regarding the environment also will be available at the event.
Singletary said since Cape Coral and Lee County have a fertilizer ban in the summer for synthetic fertilizer she will have information about how to make organic fertilizer with worm castings. She said individuals can make their own worm bed in which to composite their kitchen waste by using their old recycle bin if they still have it for the worm farm.
Florida Native Plant Society club members will be on hand to help people pick out landscaping plants appropriate for their particular yard.
The plant sale will feature hundreds of varieties of trees, shrubs, wild flowers and edible natives, along with butterfly plants and seeds.
“They are priced reasonable,” Singletary said.
The money raised through the plant sale will go back into the community through the landscaping projects that the Florida Native Plant Society does.
Pamphlets regarding gopher tortoises, sea turtles, burrowing owls and how to practice water conservation will be on hand in honor of Earth Day. The Florida Yards and Neighborhood Program also will have displays of various conservation practices as well.
The native plant sale is held on the third week of April and October usually generates a lot of people.
For more information contact Rachel Singletary at 239-543-9910.
The event will have free parking, free admission, free advice and help loading any plants purchased into a vehicle.
The Florida Native Plant Society, which is a statewide club that recently celebrated their 30th anniversary, has various chapters around the state in different communities. Singletary said the Lee County chapter is very active with local government in helping to plant the appropriate plants in the appropriate locations.
In another Earth Day activity, the Cape Coral Police Department will partner with the Northwest Neighborhood Association on Saturday to remove trash in the northwest area of the city.
Anyone who wants to join is welcome to attend the Earth Day Trash Bash beginning at 8 a.m. at the Burnt Store Boat Ramp, 230 Burnt Store Road.
The event will be followed by a lunch at noon.
Last year volunteers filled five construction sized Dumpsters with trash.
The Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium also will have an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event is sponsored by Covanta Energy.
Sarah Kraum, Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium education director, said each family who attends the huge celebration will leave with a seedling.
Those who attend the event will learn about renewable energy, create recycled crafts and have the opportunity to participate in a garbage sculpture contest. The children will have the chance to make organic gluten free Play-Do at the event, along with using natural materials to make knives.
Kraum said there will also be little activities set up along the Eco-Trail Exploration to teach various environmental lessons for those who attend.
Tom Mueller of Covanta Energy will provide information regarding the Lee County Solid Waste Resource Recovery Facility.
A viewing of “Ghost Bird,” a documentary about the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, will be shown at 12:30 p.m. Kraum said Dr. Jerome Jackson, who is in the documentary, will be at the event to answer questions before and after the movie.
Prizes will also be raffled off during the celebration.
She said the celebration is being held to bring awareness to the environment and provide an educational fun time.
The Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium is at 3450 Ortiz Avenue at the intersection of Colonial Boulevard and Six Mile Cypress in Fort Myers.
An Earth Concert by Nabbie’s Performing Arts Studio will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 2911 Del Prado Blvd, on Sunday at 7 p.m. A meet and greet will be held on the patio at 6 p.m. with Stage Director Leo Wolfe, Musical Director Carol Nabatoff and Student Director Kassie Coykendall.
Donations of $6 for adults and $2 for children 12 years old and younger will benefit the Florida Gulf Coast University Environmental Studies Programs.
The first Earth Day took place in 1970 after founder and former U.S. Senator of Wisconsin Gaylord Nelson witnessed the massive Santa Barbara, Calif. oil spill in 1969.
Twenty million Americans from all walks of life joined in on the movement in 1970 and the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Act was created.
Every year, more than 1 billion people come out on April 16 to participate in Earth Day activities.