Earth Day & Outdoor Expo

Come celebrate with us!

On Saturday, April 30, 2016, Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful will host our annual Earth Day & Outdoor EXPO. It will be held at Friendship Church again this year from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Marbut Bend Nature Walk
Before you head to the celebration, take a guided walk at the Marbut Bend Walking Trail with Damien Simbeck from TVA. Damien is a bird expert and very knowledgeable about how that area came to be and the wildlife that call it home. Participants should meet at 7:30 a.m. at the Trail Head, which is located a short way west of the Elk River bridge on Hwy. 99. The trail is handicap accessible. Please wear comfortable shoes and use insect repellant if needed.

EXPO
After the nature walk, you will have plenty of time to bring the whole family to Friendship Church on Lucas Ferry Rd. in Athens to celebrate Earth Day beginning at 10 a.m. Admission is free and donations are greatly appreciated.

Our main attractions this year will be raptors from the Alabama Wildlife Center (their first visit), the Tennessee Valley Zoo with animals to pet and feed, and Jim Swanner of KIN Stables and his horse Rosie. As always, children up to age 12 can make and take a variety of recycled crafts.

You will find vendors and exhibitors inside and outside with information, hands-on activities, and interesting and fun things to do and see. AMSTI will be there with microscopes to see water samples and plant life. The Limestone County Water and Sewer Authority will teach children and adults about aquifers by helping them build edible aquifers using ice cream, soda, and other yummy ingredients. Auburn University’s Entomology Department will bring lots of bug specimens and possibly roaches to race. You may even find edible insects to sample!

Don’t worry, there will be lots of things to do, even if you’re not a fan of bugs! Learn more about recycling, test your knowledge of native birds, learn about the dangers of cigarette litter, find out about Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and get a $1/minute massage from HealthSource with all proceeds going to KALB. Sample some Starbucks coffee and ask for coffee grounds to add to your garden while they last, find out how to conserve water at home including the use of rain barrels, and so much more!

We could not have this great program if not for our generous sponsors. Our CHAMPION SPONSORS are Custom Polymers, PET, and Friendship Church. GUARDIANS are Legacy, Partners in Education, Redstone Federal Credit Union, Bank Independent, and Pepsi. PATRONS are Crews, Inc., Rep. Danny Crawford, Top Job Roofing and Construction, and HealthSource of Athens. FRIENDS are Clem Tire, Jacobs Technology, TVA, and Athens Now.

We hope you will come out and celebrate with us. Our world and our local environment are gifts we should cherish and protect. Let’s learn how together.
By: Lynne Hart