Best Ways To Celebrate Earth Day 2013 In DFW
Earth Day, April 22, started out as an American environmental movement in 1970, but it has since evolved into a holiday celebrated by millions of people worldwide. In an effort to promote sustainability and greener living, Earth Day pays tribute to nature's beauty and teaches the importance of ensuring that it continues to thrive. To mark the occasion, DFW is playing host to a variety of fun events that will inspire everyone to appreciate and help preserve their planetary home.
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Learn2Live Green (L2LG)
The Shops at Legacy
5741 Legacy Circle
Plano, TX 75024
(972) 769-4199
www.learn2livegreen.com
Date: April 13 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Sponsored by the City of Plano, L2LG is one of the longest running eco-festivals in DFW. With the purpose of promoting a greener lifestyle, the festival features a variety of DIY workshops, demonstrations and exhibits for visitors to learn about everything from setting up rainwater harvesting systems, to gardening techniques and energy efficiency. Special guests include the Daytripper show host, Chet Garner, giving his picks for the best nature-bound adventures around the state and the Dallas Paleo Society discussing where and how to hunt for fossils. Kids will enjoy a host of activities ranging from face painting, crafts and meeting Ranger Rick, to animal presentations by the Critterman and Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. Want to help spread the green movement? Plano's Sustainability and Environmental Services Department offers volunteer training programs for adults and teens designed to promote green living throughout the community.
Party For The Planet Celebration Zoo Run
Fort Worth Zoo
1989 Colonial Parkway
Fort Worth, TX 76109
(817) 759-7555
www.fortworthzoo.org
Date: April 20 – 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Make it a day of running with the pack by coming out to help support Fort Worth Zoo's global wildlife conservation and education efforts. Everyone from age 2 and up is invited to participate in either the timed 5K or the 5K and 1K fun runs. Runners will receive a complimentary zoo admission pass, good for up to a year, and a Zoo Run t-shirt. Additionally, there will be an awards ceremony and a Wild Wonders live animal presentation after the races. Help clean up the environment while you're there by bringing in your old cell phones and other electronic waste to the recycling area at the conservation tent on race day.
4th Annual Earth Day Festival
River Legacy Living Science Center
703 NW Green Oaks Blvd.
Arlington, TX 76006
(817) 860-6752
www.riverlegacy.org
Date: April – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There's no better place to celebrate earth's natural wonders then in the middle of this 1,300-acre urban oasis nestled along the Trinity River. The purpose of River Legacy's Earth Day Festival is to spread awareness and appreciation of the natural world in order to foster civic and environmental responsibility, says the Center's marketing coordinator Kristi Payne. The annual festival is packed with activities that will inspire the entire family to appreciate nature's bounty, including guided nature hikes, live animal observations, enviro-scape demonstrations and creating re-usable art projects.
Earth Day Dallas (EDD)
Fair Park Automobile & Esplanade Area
1300 Robert B Cullum Blvd.
Dallas, TX, 75210
(214) 670-8400
earthdaydallas.org
Date: April 20–21, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Celebrate Earth Day by attending one of the largest Earth Day events in the nation that attracted 58,000 visitors last year. This two-day festival includes over 500 eco-friendly exhibitors, high profile speakers, a green film series, musical acts, theatrical performances, organic food and a variety of hands-on workshops. Visitors are encouraged to participate in the global picnic for the planet event and to bring recyclable items for the City of Dallas' spring round up. In addition, there will be activities ranging from yoga and games to a 5K fun run through a course of mini-farm trucks.
Related: 7 Kid-Friendly Environmental Activities For Earth Day And Every Day
Oak Cliff Earth Day
Lake Cliff Park
1200 N. Zang Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75203
www.oakcliffearthday.com
Date: April 21 – 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Oak Cliff Earth Day festival, now in its seventh year, attracts over 10,000 visitors and a host of earth conscious vendors, exhibitors, artisans and entertainers. There will be plenty of activities for everyone in the family, including Fido, who can get micro-chipped for only $20 and take part in the Mutt Strut parade and costume contest. Educational presentations will focus on everything from water conservation and composting to West Nile virus prevention and earth-kind planting techniques. Blackland Prairie Raptor Center will be on hand with a birds of prey demonstration, and there will be a farm animal petting zoo, as well as a pooch smooch booth raising money to help the elderly provide for their pets.
Fort Worth B-Cycle Earth Day Launch
Burnett Park
Fort Worth, TX 76104
www.fortworthbikesharing.org
Date: April 22 – 10 a.m.
Reduce your carbon fingerprint and save money on gas at the same time by biking around Fort Worth with the new bike sharing program set to launch on Earth Day. The Fort Worth B-Cycle program will be a first for North Texas and the Earth Day launch needs 300 volunteers to ride from Burnett Park to various docking stations. Guest speakers at the launch include, Mayor Betsy Price, Councilman Joel Burns and Dick Ruddell, president of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority. After the launch, the share program will be in motion, offering riders 300 Trek bikes to rent from 30 various docking stations throughout Downtown, Southside and the Cultural District.
Related: Go Green As You Spring Clean – 10 Steps To A Clean Ecofriendly Home
Ilene Jacobs is a freelance writer living in Dallas, Texas. Ilene enjoys writing about a variety of topics, ranging from food, fitness and travel, to kids, pets and senior care. You can find some of her work at Examiner.com.
