Local families had no shortage of activities to celebrate Earth Day this weekend.
Once again the Prophet Aquatic Research and Outreach Center (PAROC) and David Traylor Zoo teamed up to bring a pair of educational Earth Day activities to the community starting with the PAROC Earth Day celebration Saturday morning. On hand for the event were several community partners as well as Emporia State University students and groups who put on several educational and fun activities from arts and crafts to face painting, a nature trail story walk and an environmental cleanup.
PAROC Outreach Coordinator Alex Gentry tells KVOE News the Earth Day celebration was all about hands-on learning which is one of the key pillars of the center and its namesake Dr. Carl Prophet.
Once the PAROC activities concluded, Earth Day participants had a short break before making their way to the zoo for its annual Party for the Planet. During that time, visitors were able to engage with more than a dozen experts and organizations all helping to educate others on how they can help keep the environment clean and thriving.
Zoo Education Coordinator Kelli Proehl says Party for the Planet is just one of many conservation efforts the zoo is involved in year-round that promotes a healthier Earth for all species.
Earth Day is a globally celebrated annual event that helps to raise awareness of the need to protect the Earth’s natural resources for the benefit of future generations. The founder of Earth Day, former Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, launched the global celebration on April 22 1970 following several natural disasters including the Santa Barbara oil spill in California and the Cuyahoga River fires in Cleveland, Ohio in 1969.
According to National Geographic, more than 200 million people across nearly 140 countries celebrate Earth Day each year.
Click Here for a YouTube Short of Saturday’s Earth Day activities
