The Columbus Zoo welcomed hundreds of visitors to join in its annual Earth Day celebration Saturday.
Local conservation and wildlife organizations displayed interactive exhibits that focused on conservation and other ways individuals can make a difference in the environment.
“We have about 25 organizations out here, and each has brought some sort of activity for kids to do,” said Lisa Beebe, a Columbus Zoo spokeswoman. “These activities are fun for them to do, and they’re also passing out information for the kids to take home and information for their parents to take home too.”
Exhibits ranged from making a bird feeder out of peanut butter and pinecones to making composts out of Starbucks Coffee. Girl Scouts passed out miniature trees to take home and plant in promotion of a better environment.
Arley Owen, an official for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Recycling said the department dedicated a one-of-a-kind display to educate people about the environment.
“We dedicated the ‘My House,’ which is an interactive display that the Columbus Zoo has developed,” Owen said. “It basically educates people about why they need to take care of the habitat and the environment. It’s special because its the only one in the United States.”
Susie Harpham, executive director of Keep Franklin County Beautiful, hopes people will be reminded to think twice before littering.
“We have so many volunteers out cleaning up, and we would like to put them out of business,” Harpham said. “So our request is to stop and think before you throw out the cigarette or the package because it really has a place, and it’s not on the road.”
The purpose of Earth Day, celebrated across the nation today, is to take one day out of the year to serve as a reminder for people to appreciate and respect the environment. The event was sponsored by the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio and the ODNR Divisions of Wildlife, Recycling and Litter Prevention.
