For the love of the earth

By DAVID HULSE

GLEN SPEY, NY — Mother Nature didn’t cooperate with the weather end of the program on April 30, but more than 100 people still turned out for annual Earth Day festivities at MacKenzie Elementary School.

Karen Warden, of the sponsoring Lumberland Environmental Council, had hoped for a better day, but “we had a lot of hands-on activities, so those kids who were there really enjoyed themselves.” There were free hot dogs and the PTA chipped in with ice cream.

The day is an opportunity for fundraisers, and the sponsors of Lumberland’s Circle Park Project were selling tee shirts and soliciting support.

MacKenzie students participated with class projects, one of which involved decorating Peck’s Markets grocery bags, which were returned to the store for reuse. “Kids have to learn about the environment if they’re to take care of it,” said Principal Kathryn Ryan.

The National Park Service, 4-H and Sullivan County’s recycling program were represented.

The live animals are big attraction for the kids and Travis Gale of Snakes ‘n Scales and Turtle Tales in Wanaque, NJ enthralled his audience with snakes, lizards, an alligator named Dizzy and a snapping turtle named Chopper.

Gale said the group of rehabilitators take in injured and abandoned animals and present these types of programs both to educate kids about wild animals and raise money for their support. For more about their reptile programs, visit snakesnscales.com.