Earth Day is almost upon us and there are many environmentally friendly ways to celebrate and partake in the festivities. Here is a guide for some of the best events being held in Southwest Florida:
DING DARLING NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is holding a fun filled day of exploration and fun to celebrate Earth Day.
When: Saturday, April 19, 2014 10:00am to 3:00pm
Where: 1 Wildlife Dr., Sanibel, FL 33957
The first 200 visitors to the Refuge will receive a FREE up-cycled T-shirt earth bag courtesy of “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society. Additionally, Wildlife Drive will be Free to Hikers and Bikers Only with Free Bike Rentals from 8am-4pm.
CONSERVANCY OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
When: April 19th, 10:00am until 4:00pm
Where: 1495 Smith Preserve Way, Naples, FL
Attendees to this environmentally friendly event will get to enjoy electric boat tours, expert lectures, hands on habitat experiences, and educational programs for kids and adults. In addition, live music, a fish fry, face painting and all that the Conservancy Nature Center has to offer. This event is free for Conservancy members, $10 for adults, and $5 for children ages 3-12.
EARTH DAY FESTIVAL
When: Saturday, April 12th, 9:00am – 6:30pm
Where: Riverside Park, Old 41 Rd. & Childers St., Bonita Beach, FL 34135
This Earth Day event is free and offers lots of fun for the family. Kids can dig for dinosaur bones, take a dinosaur ride, see live animals and partake in an interactive recycled material sculpture. Koreshan State Historic Site was the original location, but the events are now held at the Riverside Park.
EARTH DAY CRAFTS
There will be several events held around our area for kids of all ages on the celebrated Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22nd.
Family Fun Night at Chick-fil-A Estero, 21900 S Tamiami Trail, Estero, will have a face painter and ladybug crafts.
The Chick-fil-A Cypress Lake, 13610 S Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers, is hosting family night and kids can enjoy making butterflies by using recycled materials.
The Lakes Regional Library, located at 15290 Bass Road in Fort Myers, is inviting K-5th graders to attend their event at 4:30pm. Educational crafts and games learning to use recyclable materials and a information on reduce, reuse, recycle will be the focus of the event. Registration is required for this event.
Sources:
http://www.dingdarlingsociety.org/index.php – “Ding”
http://www.gulfshorelife.com/Calendar/index.php/name/Conservancy-of-Southwest-Floridas-50th-Anniversary-Earth-Day-Festival/event/8722/ – Conservancy
http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/event/?eid=55727 – Riverside
http://www.leefamilynews.net/id5.html – crafts
