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“Wild Earth Fest” Celebrates Nature and Conservation at Trailside Nature & Science Center, May 1

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal invite families with children of all ages and adults alike to celebrate wildlife and embrace environmental conservation at “Wild Earth Fest” at Trailside Nature and Science Center on Sunday, May 1.

This exciting daylong event will run from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $3 per person; children 6 and under are free. The first 400 people to be admitted will receive free tree seedlings you can grow at home.

“Wild Earth Fest has such an exciting and diverse line-up of programs and activities for all ages,” said Freeholder Daniel Sullivan, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. “There is certainly something to educate and entertain the entire family.”

One of the featured presentations, “Recycling is Magic,” at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., will have Cyril the Sorcerer take the audience on a magical adventure. Through the combination of storytelling and stage magic, the audience will become aware of the power they have to help the planet by reducing, reusing, refusing and recycling.

Another featured presentation, “Discover Green,” at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m., will educate the audience about what they can do to help save the earth. This program, starring Rizzo’s Reptiles, will introduce live lizards, snakes, turtles and an alligator, while teaching the audience what they can do to help these reptiles by taking care of our planet.

Wild Earth Fest will feature a myriad of demonstrations and activities throughout the day. At 1:30 p.m., during “The Way of the Wolf,” Vinnie Reo of Wolf Visions will introduce a live wolf to the audience. Then he will dispel the myths and legends of the “Big Bad Wolf” and explain the importance of this keystone species in maintaining a balanced ecosystem.

From 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., “Wildlife Up Close and Personal” will feature naturalists from the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia who will introduce a wide variety of animals from their facility and answer wildlife related questions. At 12:30 and 2:30 p.m., “Up-Cycled Art” will feature Angela Pryor of Useable Art. She will demonstrate how to recycle and repurpose commonly discarded items into useable, functioning pieces of art.

A special opportunity for kids is the featured cooking program at 3:30 p.m. “Kids’ Green Kitchen” is a program designed to introduce children to the basics of nutrition and cooking. Children will learn how to be “green” in the kitchen by using fresh vegetables, grains and dairy.

There are many other exciting activities and demonstrations scheduled throughout the day. Educational table displays and exhibitors include Sun Meadow Farm, Turtleback Zoo, National Wild Turkey Federation, Wild Birds Unlimited, Made with Love Organic Bakery, and many others.

Winners of the Environmental Hero Awards for Kids and the Wildlife Photography Contest will be honored at 4:45 p.m. Wild Earth Fest also will offer ongoing Eco-Art activities, musical entertainment, free face painting, and Recycling Olympics. Refreshments and wildlife related art and gifts will be available for sale.

For this earth-friendly event, Trailside Nature & Science Center has partnered with Second Chance Toys, an organization that rescues and recycles plastic toys to give to children in need. To promote the theme of reduce, reuse and recycle, and to provide toys to children in need, people are encouraged to donate their clean, gently used plastic toys to this effort. Donations will be collected throughout the day.

For information about Wild Earth Fest or any other upcoming programs or events at Trailside, please call 908-789-3670 or visit us online at www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature & Science Center, located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside, is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

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MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – Visitors to Wild Earth Fest on Sunday, May 1, will have a chance to see a real wolf during a presentation by Vinnie Reo of Wolf Visions. Wild Earth Fest runs from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $3 per person; children ages 6 and under are free. For information call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside. Trailside Nature & Science Center, at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside, is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

MOUNTAINSIDE, NJ – In addition to live animals, exciting demonstrations and children’s activities, visitors to Wild Earth Fest on May 1 will be entertained by the music of Glen Waldeck. The event will run from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $3 per person; children ages 6 and under are free. For information call Trailside at 908-789-3670 or visitwww.ucnj.org/trailside Trailside Nature & Science Center, located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside, is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.