Release: March 25, 2019
GAMBIER, Ohio — Embrace nature’s wild side at this year’s Earth Day Festival hosted by Kenyon College’s Brown Family Environmental Center, to be held Saturday, April 20, from noon–4 p.m.
The free “Keep It Wild” festival at the BFEC, 9781 Laymon Road, will feature live animals from the Ohio Wildlife Center, Ohio Nature Education, Bugman Education, Our Zoo to You and the Ohio Bird Sanctuary. In addition to interacting with those visiting animals, guests also can create and take home bluebird boxes, bat houses and bee hotels. Festivalgoers will have the opportunity to get a close-up look at the lives of owls through dissecting owl pellets, which offer a glimpse into the diet of the winged predators.
“This festival provides activities and ways for people of all ages to connect to nature,” said BFEC Post-Baccalaureate Fellow Maddie Morgan. “This is the only planet we have, and recognizing our effect on our environment and how we can improve that relationship is important.”
Concessions will be available for purchase from the Yellowbird food truck and Green Vibes juice truck. Guests also can purchase goods from various local farms and small businesses.
Musical entertainment will be provided by the Columbus-based band Citrus Orchards and the Bringin’ It Old Time Band featuring Bill Miller.
With support from Knox County Recycling and Litter Prevention, festival organizers are aiming to make the event zero-waste, and bins for compost, trash and recycling will be present at the festival.
Festival sponsors include Broken Oak Farm, Citrus Orchards, the Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County, First Knox National Bank, Keim Lumber Company, the Kenyon Inn, Knox County Recycling and Litter Prevention, Kenyon’s Office for Community Partnerships, Peacock Water, Printing Arts Press, United Windows Direct and WMVO. For more information about this event, email BFEC Post-Baccalaureate Fellow Maddie Morgan at morganmc@kenyon.edu.