This Earth Day (A.K.A. Saturday, April 22), head to the Quogue Wildlife Refuge to commemorate the beautiful planet that we call home during the 9th Annual Greater Westhampton Beach Earth Day Festival.
“We are excited to bring the community the 9th Annual Greater Westhampton Beach Earth Day Festival,” shared Beth Ann Felshman, one of the Earth Day organizers. “This will be the second year we partner with the Quogue Wildlife Refuge.”
The family friendly happening that is hosted by Westhampton Beach Eco Friends, Eastern Long Island Audubon Society and Quogue Wildlife Refuge will offer a plethora of entertaining activities for all nature lovers. “There will be kayaking, bird watching, crafts, music, food and animal encounters,” she noted.
The Festival will kick-off with family yoga with Buddha Beach Yoga in the Nature Center at 10 a.m. (bring a mat), followed by the chance to meet local ecofriendly exhibitors, partake in face painting, enjoy nature trails and exhibits, fit in a little bit of shopping at native plant sales and a fair trade goods sale, get crafty with crafts, check out the bat house and butterfly house building, listen to live music from Project Vibe, nosh on bites from the Inn Spot by the Bay Food Truck, canoe and kayak on Old Ice Pond, and test your detective skills during a scavenger hunt, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Dr. Chris Gobler, Marine Scientist at Stony Brook University, will welcome attendees at 11:15 a.m. and festivalgoers can join Eastern Long Island Audubon Society (ELIAS) on a guided bird walk at 11:30 a.m. Kevin Ferris will share nature photography tips at the Ozark Images Table at 12 p.m. and you can meet one of the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue’s hawks at 12:15 p.m. Long Island Mycological Club will lead a mushroom talk at 12:30 p.m. and the Running with the Wolves Table will host a “wolf chat” at 12:45 p.m. Learn the wonders of being a beekeeper at the Oystercatcher Farm/Beekeeper’s Table at 1 p.m. and then Eastern Long Island Audubon Society (ELIAS) will hold another guided bird walk at 1:30 p.m. The final scheduled event of the festival is a meet and greet with the Refuge’s owls in the Nature Center at 2:30 p.m.
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Face painting is a popular happening among little ones. (Photo: www.facebook.com) |
Have some outdated office equipment, faxes, printers, copiers, phones, tablets, key boards, mouses or screens that are just sitting around your house or office not being used? If you don’t have the time to get rid of these items (and remember it’s illegal to throw out these item in the trash or at the transfer station), bring them to the Festival and they will be properly disposed of through the event’s e-waste collection, sponsored by Ecomanagement.
“As always we will have opportunities for people to bring all their unwanted electronics for proper disposal and recycling as well as old bedding and pet supplies to be donated to Bidawee,” said Felshman.
The Festival, whose goal is to “make living at the beach at little greener,” is the perfect opportunity to learn how to live greener and help preserve our environment.
“The event is free and all are welcomed,” she added.
Quogue Wildlife Refuge is located at 3 Old Country Road in Quogue. For more information, visit www.facebook.com.
