McKean County and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources have come up with activities for residents to enjoy this weekend in honor of Earth Day, all while doing their part to help the planet.
Bendigo State Park visitors have two options to be earth-friendly. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, visitors can bring an empty plastic milk carton and recycle them into something to help birds and save money at the same time. This activity will be held at Pavilion 1.
Meanwhile, other visitors who show up on Earth Day, Sunday, at 10:30 a.m. can pick up litter and help remove dead branches to beautify the park. Interested helpers should wear old clothes and bring gloves. The meeting place for this activity will be in front of the park office.
Kinzua Bridge State Park is hosting a volunteer clean-up on Saturday from 10 to 12 p.m. Visitors should dress in old clothes and bring gloves, as they may be helping with litter pick-up, tree planting, tagging invasive plants and other activities to make the park beautiful.
Following the work effort, coffee and hot chocolate will be offered in the classroom. Interested helpers should meet at the visitor center.
For those who want to help make Kinzua Bridge State Park look great for the warmer weather, other projects are planned for the near future. Call 814-778-5467 and discuss availability to help with these projects.
Finally, the PA DCNR is celebrating Conservation District Week, which will be celebrated in conjunction with Earth Day and Arbor Day (April 27), with programs planned to recognize both.
The My Growing Tree school presentation will be given in Port Allegany Friday.
“We are excited to celebrate Conservation District Week,” said Kerry Fetter, conservation district board president. “We must support our conservation districts so they can protect our local areas, streams, and natural resources.”
Meanwhile, activities like seedling sales and local Envirothon sponsorship are on the calendar.
“All of these events will show the projects districts work on every day that promote good stewardship of our natural resources,” local conservation district officials said. “Working together, citizens can ensure there is enough funding for conservation districts. Please encourage conservation by thanking your legislators for providing state funds supporting conservation district programs and projects.”
Earth Day was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, with bi-partisan political support, on April 22, 1970. More than 20 million people participated on the first Earth Day. Activities, however, differed drastically, varying from protests and rallies to speeches, concerts and nature walks. Activities today focus more on improving the Earth in some measurable way, such as recycling efforts or clean-up projects.
