With the anticipation of rain looming over us in a cloud-covered sky, families poured into Azusa’s Outdoor Recreation & Eco-Fair in Memorial Park this spring to learn about ways we can help care for our planet.
Activities included ax throwing, a snow area, rock climbing, face painting, petting rare animal species and eco-friendly arts and crafts. And after all of that: free food! As families perused, The Silverados band provided the soundtrack, belting out familiar tunes from the Beatles and The Chicks.
PHOTO BY CHERIE COFER
Together, we learned how to preserve the life of monarchs by planting milkweed plants and how to prevent endangered species from meeting an unfortunate end.
Athens Services provided a recycling cheat sheet with a sorting game to remind families what goes where: recyclables, landfills and compostable items. North East Trees, a youth-based organization whose mission is to “green” the city, handed out tips on planting.
Friends of the Los Angeles River invited the community to connect with monthly events, including nature walks, meditation and writing workshops. And for the little scientists in your life, there are opportunities to conduct bird surveys and detect bats. Yes, bats make up about one-fourth of mammals on the earth and are a vital part of our urban riparian ecosystem.
Heal the Bay provided beach report cards so we know the best days to hit the beach. I walked away from this event with some practical tips on how to better care for our planet and two milkweed plants with the hope of attracting more butterflies to my little corner of the world.
