Celebrate and appreciate the natural world around you at Lake Metroparks’ annual Earth Day celebration at Penitentiary Glen Reservation

By Mimi Vanderhaven

In this age of gratitude, Mimi thinks of Earth Day as a reminder to say thank you to Mother Earth and all her inhabitants.

There’s no better place to do that than Lake Metroparks’ Penitentiary Glen Reservation on Sunday, April 21, from noon to 4 p.m. This year, the theme is “Take Action,” with a goal of educating and inspiring people to take charge of their environment. More than 5,000 people are expected to attend the free annual event.

“There are many little and big things people can do to care for the future of our natural world,” says Caitlin Ambrose, Assistant Chief of Interpretive Services.

The afternoon includes nature-inspired games, crafts, educational stations, miniature train rides, an eco-fair with conservation organizations, live wildlife programs and an Earth Day Marketplace with locally made and fair-trade merchandise. To take the nurturing spirit home, each family will receive an oak tree seedling (while supplies last). You can also purchase native plants, such as coneflowers and bee balm, from Avonlea Gardens.

New this year is the Community Art Invitational. Since February, people have been picking up round art boards to transform into a painting about what Earth Day means to them. The creations will be on display at the park.

“We’ll also be debunking myths people believe about nature,” she says. (Spoiler alert: You actually can touch a baby bird; feeding ducks bread at the park is a major no-no—terrible for their health.) “And we hope to bring awareness about not polluting Lake Erie with certain types of detergents and soaps.”

She says the bottom line is that our ecosystem is at a crucial point with species declining and their natural habitats disappearing. We need Earth Day now more than ever.

Lake Metroparks annually provides more than four million visitors with countless recreational and educational experiences at diverse facilities. Presented by Aqua Doc Lake and Pond Management, Earth Day takes place at Penitentiary Glen Reservation, 8668 Kirtland Chardon Road in Kirtland on Sunday, April 21, from noon to 4 p.m. This is a free event. For more information, visit LakeMetroparks.com.