CELEBRATING PLANET EARTH

Free Events Planned To Educate Community

An international Earth celebration is set for Saturday, April 22. The day is particularly celebrated in the Florida Keys due to the many nonprofits, like Mote Marine Laboratory, I.CARE and Coral Restoration Foundation, that work to restore the reefs and organizations like Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder, which works to rehab marine mammals.

FIRST EARTH DAY CELEBRATION AT ROWELL’S PARK IN KEY LARGO

An Earth Day celebration featuring educational booths and activities by local schools is set for Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rowell’s Waterfront Park, MM 104.5, bayside, in Key Largo. Organized by the Key Largo Community Preservation Foundation (KLCPF), visitors will join in a day to celebrate the planet. The free event will offer free water refills for those bringing reusable water bottles. Sodas will be available for sale at a drink tent. Consider bringing cash as some food vendors, including the drink tent, are cash only. Cari Sanders, KLCPF chairwoman, said the organization wanted to bring an Earth Day event to the community in 2020, but the pandemic halted those plans. Sanders, who became chairwoman last January, said she wanted to host the event with area schools placing emphasis on Earth Day topics and many area nonprofits working to improve the ocean and the reefs. Sanders said the event is for families and people of all ages to come by and learn about some of the work going on in the Florida Keys.

HISTORY OF DIVING MUSEUM & NASA HOST FREE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION VILLAGE

The History of Diving Museum and NASA are hosting a free environmental education village for visitors to learn about NASA’s climate change research and other environmental initiatives. The village will feature local organizations focused on environmental conservation. The event is set for Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Million Air, 9850 Overseas Highway in Marathon.

There will be a simultaneous mangrove tree planting at the nearby hammock, facilitated by CoastLove. The Earth Day event will feature handson demonstrations of the scientific instruments used by the BlueFlux team to measure the greenhouse gas fluxes in the mangroves, along with a guided tour being offered of the CARbon Atmospheric Flux Experiment (CARAFE) aircraft used to study the mangrove ecosystems.

The History of Diving Museum will be sharing the rich history of “the quest to explore under the sea” and South Florida’s connection to this untold story, along with information on the History of Diving Museum’s featured exhibits and special events. In addition, the event will host the National Park Service South Florida Office, Florida International University’s Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Research Program, CoastLove, Florida Wildlife Society, and others focused on environmental conservation and restoration to share about their efforts and ways the public can get involved.