Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel through a storm drain? Well, on Earth Day, which is April 22, attendees will have the opportunity to find out for themselves. Normally, the only things that travel through our storm drains are rain water and, unfortunately, litter and debris that accumulate in areas around the drains. 
The “Journey through a Storm Drain” exhibit is one of 80 games, crafts, activities and booths that will be set up at Liberty County’s fifth annual Earth Day celebration, dubbed “The Green Scene,” at the Performing Arts Center in Flemington, formerly Brewton-Parker College. We hope the event, which runs from 3:30-7 p.m., will be a fun-filled afternoon focused on ways we can “go green” and make a difference for our planet.
Coordinators have planned the celebration with children of all ages in mind. It will include an array of activities to encourage interest in all things “green.” Our Earth Day celebration was made possible by the support of our event sponsors: the Georgia Power Company, the Liberty County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Woodmen of the World and the Lowe’s Charitable Giving Campaign, as well as our municipal sponsors: the cities of Hinesville, Flemington, Allenhurst, Walthourville and Liberty and Long counties. We sincerely appreciate their continued generosity.
We also will have plenty of volunteers, thanks to a host of local businesses, youth groups, churches and civic organizations. And believe me, the most important folks of all are the dedicated volunteers and those who serve on our Keep Liberty Beautiful Advisory Council. They have been working for months to plan and implement this day of educational fun. An event of this size would not be possible without our team of more than 100 volunteers.
A variety of local businesses, churches and organizations bring our event to life, including the Liberty County Public Works Department, the Liberty County Water Resources Council, Georgia Coastal DNR, the Fort Stewart DPW Division, Brewer’s Christmas Tree Farm, Georgia Power Company, Target Distribution Center, the Liberty County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Hinesville Area Arts Council, the YMCA, Liberty County 4-H, McDonalds restaurants, the Liberty County School System, the Liberty County Blazers, the United Way, The Heritage Bank, Hampton Island Resort, Ray of Hope, the Highsmith Foundation, Ace Hardware, Crossroads Church, Coastal Georgia Greenways, the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, the Teen Achievers with the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, the Kiwanis Club, Sistaz with Vizionz Social Club, Lovette Productions, Yates Astro, Liberty County First Steps, Liberty County 4-H, Long County 4-H, the city of Midway, the Hinesville water department, the Georgia Forestry Commission, local Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, the Coastal Electric Cooperative, Liberty County Environmental Health, the Department of Family and Children Services, Goodwill Industries and more.
Goodwill Industries also will accept electronics and household goods such as clothing and appliances for recycling. We also will accept batteries and CFLs for recycling. To encourage everyone to recycle, we’ll have special giveaway items for everyone who brings in things to be recycled. Plan now to participate.
This Earth Day event is one of the many ways we try to promote awareness about stormwater pollution concerns in our community. A range of environmentally significant topics, which should be important to every family, also will be addressed at the Earth Day celebration, including litter prevention, the value of trees, water conservation, cigarette litter, recycling, composting, green energy products, organic gardening and nature and animal exhibits.
Here are some of the fun activities we’ve planned for attendees to enjoy: the annual sidewalk chalk art contest, 8-foot earth ball games, dead fish shirt stenciling, a mini-geocaching event, eco egg scavenger hunts, forestry facts display, CFL information and giveaways, recycling demonstrations, stormwater pollution lectures, enviroscape fun, Curby the Recycling Robot, fish and wildlife information booths, wetlands enviroscape activities, recycling reincarnation exhibit, organic gardening, butterfly creation station, “green” reading, trash toss games, composting and rain barrel displays, solar and alternative energy sources, go fish games, adopt-a-stream information booth, Rivers Alive waterway trash display, a cigarette litter mountain, parachute play, henna tattoos for teens and adults, kids’ temporary tattoos, face painting, Earth Day pledges, pin the fin on the shark, water ball toss games, an Earth Day rapper, local tourism opportunities, wetlands mural photos, water cycle terrariums, edible aquifer parfaits, water fortune-telling gypsy, the world’s largest crayon, seed-planting station, a reading castle, toilet trivia toss, biodegradable building blocks, 4-H environmental displays, guerilla gardening, puppet shows and the Water, Water Everywhere Show.
At 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., we will raffle off door prizes including Kindles, an iPod, a Canon Powershot camera, an eco-playhouse, a composter and more. There also will be information stations at all the booths with lots of take-home giveaways for kids and adults.
Immediately after Earth Day, there will be a free family movie night featuring the funny but eco-minded film, “Furry Vengeance.” The movie night is sponsored by the Hinesville Area Arts Council, the Target Distribution Center, Georgia Theatre Company and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia.
So round up your family to join us for some good, clean fun. It is free and the best part truly is that attendees will pick up information they can use in their daily lives. Our planet could use a little help, so come on out for this afternoon of environmental education cleverly disguised as fun!
To volunteer, please call Keep Liberty Beautiful at 880-4888 or email klcb@coastalnow.net.