Quogue Wildlife Refuge to Throw Earth Day Celebration on April 27

Every day, Mother Earth provides humans and animals with water to drink, air to breath and countless other resources. While efforts to help sustain and restore the planet continue year-round—including minimizing the use of plastic straws and bags—Earth Day, April 22, gets nearly 200 countries to focus on the global task at hand. East End individuals and families can do their part and have a blast at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge’s annual Earth Day Celebration, taking place on Saturday, April 27.

This free, family friendly event includes many eco-friendly activities, educational programs and opportunities to enjoy and preserve nature. Guests will have the chance to explore the refuge, take a guided birding walk led the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society, see live animal presentations, make up-cycled crafts, meet members of local environmental organization, build bat houses, peruse environmentally friendly products, have their face painted, kayak/canoe on Old Ice Pond and dance to live music by the Jan Hannah Band. Scrumptious fare will be offered by food trucks from Hampton Coffee and Mattitaco.

EcoTech Management will be on hand to collect and dispose of electronic waste items, including televisions, radios, phones, fax machines, gaming devices, small appliances, computers and just about anything that runs on battery or has to plug into the wall. Additionally, unwanted prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs and vitamins will be collected by a police officer at the Helping Us Give to Society (HUGS) table. “These recycling programs are important to the protection of our water systems as well as the overall health of our environment,” event organizer Naomi Hogarty says. “E-waste, prescription drugs and plastic bags make up a substantial amount of our overall landfill and water pollution.”

The Earth Day Celebration is a fun way for adults and children of all ages to learn how to make Earth-conscious decisions and to help keep our planet healthy. Join in the excitement on Saturday, April 27, from noon to 3 p.m., rain or shine.

Quogue Wildlife Refuge is located at 3 Old Country Road in Quogue. For more information, call 631-653-4771 or visit quoguewildliferefuge.org.