Lake Metroparks is commemorating Earth Day with a celebration full of eco-awareness, outdoor adventures and a focus on small ways to make a big difference

By Mimi Vanderhaven

The annual Earth Day celebration kicked off in 1970 as a means to raise awareness about protecting our natural resources for future generations. Think of it as the ultimate “paying it forward.”

This year, the theme of this global initiative is “Invest In Our Planet,” with a goal of lighting the spark to accelerate change toward a greener future.

Local families can celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 23, from noon to 4 p.m. at Lake Metroparks’ Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Kirtland. The afternoon lends the chance to reconnect with the outdoors and send a little thank you to Mother Nature.

Perfect for families with kids of all ages, the free event includes nature-inspired games, crafts, educational stations, miniature train rides, an eco-fair with local conservation organizations, wildlife programs and an Earth Day Marketplace with locally made and fair-trade merchandise. Plus, to take a bit of the nurturing spirit home, each family attending will receive a tree.

You’ll find ways to empower yourself to effect change that go beyond reduce, reuse and recycle, but those will be explored, too.

Why is it more important now than ever for families to celebrate Earth Day?

Mimi caught up with Assistant Chief of Interpretive Services Caitlin Ambrose to find out.

“Earth Day began with a generation focused on helping the future of the planet,” she says. “Over 50 years later, Earth needs the next generation of people to invest in its future. The planet and natural world need us.”

Caitlin says this year at Penitentiary Glen they’ll focus on inspiring people to do little things in their everyday lives to help.

Lake Metroparks annually provides more than 4 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, at 8668 Kirtland-Chardon Road in Kirtland on Sunday, April 23 from noon to 4 p.m. To learn more about the Earth Day event visit goto.lakemetroparks.com/earthday. For information about Penitentiary Glen Reservation visit goto.lakemetroparks.com/penitentiary-glen.