Saturday is Earth Day, and area residents will be planting trees, cleaning their property and enjoying a huge Earth Day Celebration at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo. Here are some of the things going on:
Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo Earth Day Celebration
The Great Bend Earth Day Celebration is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo. The family friendly event, now in its second year, is hosted by the Zoo, Rosewood E-Cycle and Great Bend Dairy Queen.
Activities are geared toward children, but all are welcome to participate.
Zoo Director Ashley Burdick said there will be giveaways to the first 500 children in attendance, including a coupon for a free small ice cream cone from Great Bend Dairy Queen.
Here are some of the planned features:
• View (and possibly take a spin in) Wheatland Electric’s 100% electric vehicle
• Take home a tomato plant
• Enjoy minnow races from the Kansas Wetlands Education Center
• Experience animal encounters: Meet and greet select zoo animals
• Pick up free popcorn from the Zoo Society, which will also have an area open for sidewalk chalk art
• Meet Luna, the Reading Therapy Dog
• Encounter a new T-Rex character that will be roaming the Zoo to entertain
Heartland Farm will also have a table, and Amelia’s Tacos will sell food in a food truck out front of the Zoo.
Pawnee Rock Citywide Cleanup
Residents of Pawnee Rock will take part in a citywide cleanup that runs Friday through Sunday, April 21-23. City Clerk Chris Mead said the city will make two containers available – one for acceptable trash and one for metal – for three days.
The following items will not be accepted for safety and environmental concerns: appliances containing Freon; batteries; concrete, brick, rock, soil or ashes; landscape/yard waste including leaves, grass clippings, limbs and other plant material; liquid waste; and tires.
Yard waste can be taken to the city burn pit. Arrangements can be made to pick up appliances containing Freon can be made by calling 620-797-8040.
Volunteers will get together on Saturday morning to help people who are not physically able to do the cleanup. The volunteers will then be treated to sloppy joes. For more information on volunteering or getting assistance, call the City Clerk, 620-982-4386, or email clerk@pawneerock-ks.org.
Lions Club planting redbud trees
The Great Bend Noon Lions Club members will be planting redbud trees in the islands on Broadway Ave. on Saturday. This is a spring tradition for the Lions Club. This year, they plan to plant 15 trees. The work is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.
