By Amanda Pevey
Elmore Autauga News
On Saturday, April 15th the Alabama Nature Center held its second annual Earth Day festival in Millbrook.
General admission applied of five dollars per person ages four and up. All admission fees went towards the future ANC raptor program and there were over 180 guests in attendance.
Children enjoyed sprouting beans, making “lights out” door hangers, and making recycled bird feeders.
A movie special: An Original Duckumentary was played at the Theatre.
Nature hikes with an ANC Naturalists were done in 30-minute intervals and families hiked over to steel creek to participate in a to clean it up in celebration on Earth Day.
Vendors included, The Montgomery Zoo, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Elmore County Cooperation Extension, US Forest Service, and Chicken & Sweets- Southern Jams & Baked Goods, Alabama Department of Environmental Management.
Food was provided by the staff of ANC which was hotdogs, chips, and drinks.
Everyone enjoyed celebrating Alabama’s Natural Resources at the ANC Earth Day Celebration. Many animals included, a gopher tortoise, snakes, frogs, salamander, a cavy, Turkey, white fronted Amazon owl, Red Tail Hawk, Sugar Glider, Emperor scorpion, Madagascar hissing cockroach, and an Uromastyx lizard.
Matt Vines, ANC Camps and Community Programs Coordinator wants to say thank you to the guest ad vendors for coming out and for participating in this event.“This event was a good way to get families outdoors with some great weather, while being able to teach them about some of the plants and animals that live here in Alabama (and some non-native animals) and why it is important to conserve those resources. We hope to host this event again in the future,” said Vines.
For more information about the Alabama Nature Center please visit their website at: www.alabamawildlife.org/natureplex. You can also check out their Facebook page at: www.Facebook.com/alabamanaturecenter.
