Earth Day celebrations

A giant celebration of Earth Day is Saturday on the armory lawn in downtown Marietta and everybody on Earth is invited.

“I’ve always enjoyed the Earth Day downtown because it’s a lot of fun,” said Andrea Adkins, information services manager at the Washington County Public Library in Marietta.

Adkins, also a leader of the Oak Grove 4-Fold 4-H Club, said her 4-H’ers will be helping out at various stations during the 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. celebration.

In addition, there will be lawn games, a parachute, clowns making balloon animals and all sorts of contests and displays.

“We’ll be making drums out of recycled coffee cans, planting seeds in recycled detergent lids, making wooden bead bracelets from (massage) car-seat covers and lots more,” said Teresa Stone, an event coordinator.

Also coordinating are Marilyn Ortt, Connie Grimes, Glenna Hoff and Don Wittberg.

“We normally will see about 300 people, adults and children, at the event,” Stone said. “If a person goes to all eight stations, there’s a free T-shirt, made from recycled materials, for him or her.”

It’s all free and there are contests for adults and children.

A favorite and traditional event is the “sweet gum ball” contest.

“We ask people to gather up sweet gum balls and make something fun and creative,” Stone said. “Another contest uses any recycled materials to make a craft item.”

Crafts must be submitted by 10 a.m. at the armory and will be voted on throughout the day to determine the best.

In addition to all the fun, there’s education to be gained from the downtown event. A wildflower identification contest is planned, along with a display of invasive plants by Wayne National Forest representatives.

Live snakes that live in this region will be on display, and Mike Austin will talk about their characteristics and how to spot the dangerous ones. Various breeds of rabbits will be on hand for children to view.

Pioneer Ladies Civitan Club will help participants make bath salts, which can be taken home.

Simply Green House will provide ideas for homeowners on how to make the entire house “greener.” Two types of hybrid cars will be displayed, along with a landfill model.

“My part of this is the games,” Stone said. “We’ll have a giant parachute for the kids, along with a number of yard games for all ages.”

Sponsors are the Responsible Care Group of Washington County, three area manufacturing plants and Peoples Bank. For participants, it’s all free.

“What impresses me most about the whole event is all the different kinds of activities, demonstrations and displays,” Stone said. “People who attend want to learn and participate.”

While all the celebration is going on downtown, about 20 miles north on Ohio 60, the Beverly Public Library will have its own Earth Day celebration, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the library, 300 McIntosh St.

There will be movies (such as “Recycle Rex” and “It’s a Big, Big World”) a craft and snack. It’s free and open to children of all ages.

“It’s important to get children thinking about the environment and Earth,” said Vel Baker, librarian.

Recycled materials will be used to make a craft, she said.

Marietta’s public library, 615 Fifth St., is also joining in Earth Day with a children’s library program beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

“Children will be making coffee ground fossils and creating critter monsters from recycled materials,” Adkins said.

The program is for any child 6 to 8 years old, but registration is required by Friday, she said.

Local group Neighbors for Clean Air, along with Ohio Citizen Action, are playing host to an Earth Day river cruise at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

During the hour-long cruise aboard the Valley Gem sternwheeler, fifth- through seventh-graders from Washington and Wood counties will read their winning submissions from a “Why is Clean Air Important?” essay contest. Eric Fitch, director of Marietta College’s Environmental Sciences Department, will present information about various pollution sources in the Mid-Ohio Valley.

Children’s activities will include creating a paper link chain representing 163 tons of airborne manganese from the Eramet facility and a banner-making project in support of a statewide environmental justice law.

Light refreshments will be provided by local businesses.

Admission is pay-what-you-can ($5 is suggested), and proceeds will support Neighbors for Clean Air.