Volunteers work on planting trees at the Salmon Creek Regional Park during the annual Earth Day Fest hosted by the Clark Public Utilities StreamTeam in 2015. The event is in its 18th year, this time hosted on the actual Earth Day date of April 22.
Those looking to celebrate Earth Day April 22 have an option featuring both entertainment and volunteer opportunities for Clark County residents.
More than 1,000 people and hundreds of volunteers are likely to take part in the Clark Public Utilities’ StreamTeam’s 18th annual Earth Day Fest to be hosted at the Salmon Creek Regional Park.
Starting at 10 a.m. there will be prizes, a birds of prey show, live reptile demonstrations, a science festival brought by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and an interactive juggling act, a release from Clark Public Utilities stated. The fair will also feature the chance for kids to go on a nature walk, joining in on the StreamTeam’s release of wild salmon into the creek.
Hosted in conjunction with the Earth Day Fest, volunteers will also get a chance to take part in tree planting at the park, putting in plants native to the area.
In the last few years the event has brought in between 1,600 to 1,800 people, growing substantially in recent annual events, StreamTeam Program Coordinator Ashley King said. She mentioned the team has “upped their game” by getting higher-quality educational entertainment, boosting the amount of the public getting involved.
Apart from the fest, about 300 to 400 people take part in the tree planting that begins slightly before the start of the fair proper, King added. Initially the tree planting was the sole event put on by the StreamTeam. Over time the fair has grown with more additions to the activity list.
New for this year is a musical act fully fitting the theme of green living at the heart of Earth Day. Locally-based ecologically-minded group Recycleman and the Dumpster Divers will be performing, with King calling them “very engaging and interactive,” getting the audience involved with the performance that prominently features instruments constructed from recycled materials.
Although not as directly obvious as say, work directly in the creek, King said the planting of trees is beneficial to the salmon population restoration at the heart of the StreamTeam’s mission.
“The trees provide shade over the water, which keeps the water cold,” King said, which is better for keeping oxygen in the water.
Trees help to stabilize the riverbank from erosion, keeping dirt out of the water to also help the habitat be the best it can for the fish.
“It’s not just helping the fish. It’s helping everybody in the community as well,” King added, noting the environmental benefits that trees are associated with.
“The tree planting has continued to gain in popularity and volunteers who want to get their hands dirty will need to sign up early to participate in the planting activity,” King was quoted in the release, though she added that “families are also welcome to just come enjoy the free activities and entertainment at the Earth Day Fest.”
“There’s something for everybody,” King said.
