Categorized | Education, Environment

40th Earth Day celebration Saturday at Panaewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens

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Saturday, April 24, marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the County of Hawai‘i Department of Environmental Management and Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens have organized an Earth Day celebration at the Zoo from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.

The celebration’s theme this year is Hiki Nō Nā Keiki ke Hana, meaning Kids Can Do It, to highlight what Hawai‘i Island’s keiki are doing to help protect the planet.

There will be many special activities including a special Earth Day Scavenger Hunt, Waiakea Middle School Ukulele Band performance, and showings of videos about what kids are doing to take care of the earth. These will offer ways you can help by reducing, reusing and recycling at home, at school and at work.

Keiki Earth Day Poster Contest entries will be on display and winners will be announced. Bring a HI5 bottle or can to donate to the Zoo and receive a free KTA reusable shopping bag.

Three new educational signs describing how animals in our Zoo and from around the world are affected by what we do here on our island will be unveiled. The new signs illustrate the small changes we can all make to help preserve animal habitat by conserving energy, using less plastic and being mindful of what we buy.

The Zoo has several on-going projects everyone will be able to learn about. One is making Bokashi mud balls to keep the ponds free of sludge and algae. This helps Namaste, the Bengal Tiger, to have a clean pond to swim in. Another project involves planting Crown Flowers and Mamaki around the Zoo to attract butterflies for everyone’s enjoyment. It also benefits all the plants through pollination.

Not to be missed during the event will be a Worm Petting Zoo, where you can learn how these amazing critters play an important role in composting our waste. Following the Earth Day Celebration, the Petting Zoo and all the animals will be in full swing from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

For more information about the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day at the Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo and Gardens, contact Linda Peters, Recycling Coordinator for the Department of Environmental Management at 961-8942 or lpeters@co.hawaii.hi.us. For more Earth Day and recycling information, visit www.hawaiizerowaste.org

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