Earth Day celebrations are coming to Rancho Mission Viejo this month with hopes of getting the whole community involved. Two separate days are being planned, with one about learning and the other taking action.
The first of two celebrations is the Earth Day Festival, hosted at The Pavilion this Saturday, April 13. This event, jointly sponsored by RanchLife and the Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo, will be a celebration, as well as a unique opportunity for residents and visitors to learn about various environmental topics. It's a chance to take a step to learn more about a better environment.
“We are trying to embody a lot of what the National Earth Day mission does in working with different organizations to promote everything from technology to the arts to supporting small local businesses, and trying to spark curiosity and enthusiasm from our youth involved and learn more,” said Laura Pennington, RanchLife Director. “We're also encouraging people to be outside and truly appreciating the time outside.”
Rancho Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano Celebrate Earth Month
Recent child-friendly Earth Day events in Rancho Mission Viejo. Photos: Courtesy of Rancho Mission Viejo.
The event will feature numerous interactive tents and vendors, offering a variety of interactive activities and educational materials. There will be a mobile science lab run by the Wyland Foundation where you can explore information about the world and water.
“This mobile science unit is a great chance to inform guests about water, water pollution, and water runoff,” Pennington said. “It goes through all the different cycles of water, and it is all in this giant, 50-foot-long trailer with all these other stations and interactive spaces, including a room with 360-degree views of interactive screens where you can watch a presentation about water.”
In addition, there will be an interactive tide-pool experience, a butterfly biosphere with live butterflies and native California plants, a bug show-and-tell, and a birds-of-prey demonstration, along with other interactive activities in cooperation with the Orange County Fire Authority and the U.S. Forest Service.
There will also be a four-person rock climbing wall, a 90-foot zipline, an obstacle course, and a flower-crown-making station for families and their kids to enjoy.
“We would encourage anyone to be there, outside of just our residents,” Pennington said. “It is free and it is public for all to enjoy.”
The second event is Earth Day Stewardship Day on Saturday, April 20, and will be hosted at The Nature Reserve at Rancho Mission Viejo headquarters. There are plans to work on multiple outdoor areas throughout the property, including hiking trails.
“There are a few trails that we will be having folks out at and helping with trail repairs; that will be one of the projects that will be going on. We are also going to be doing a lot of opportunities for people to help remove some different invasive species on the site,” said Leeta Latham, the Executive Director of The Nature Reserve.
“One of the bigger projects that we are going to have available to do is for everybody to be able to help plant these California Native plants in a pollinator garden and also add some basket-making plants,” Latham added. “Different types of brushes and grasses are included in this category and are native to the area we will plant in a biosoil. As the grasses and brushes grow out, they will be available for people to come practice gathering to make baskets. Later, once everything is grown in the pollinator garden, people can enjoy it and learn more about the different species of pollinators that visit us here at The Nature Reserve.”
The free event will be held from 8-11 a.m., hoping to spruce up the area that is home to field trips, summer camps, hikes, and community activities. Everyone is welcome to participate in helping build the garden, but Latham recommends that the event is suitable for families with kids ages 8 and up, teens, and any adults ready to put their green thumb to the test.
“It's a gorgeous time of year to be out on The Nature Reserve, and it’s just a great time to be outside,” Latham said. “Springtime is the perfect time to come on out and give back.”
A sign-up and liability waiver must be filled out before attending, and it can be found on The Nature Reserve website. But it will surely bring the entire community together for a fun-filled day of cleaning up and gardening.
In San Juan Capistrano, Goin’ Native Therapeutic Gardens is hosting an Earth Day event for planting and sprucing up their butterfly garden on Saturday, April 20, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. It needs volunteers for digging, planting, watering, mulching and picking up trash.
The San Juan Capistrano public library will host a special Earth Day event at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23, in partnership with OC Waste & Recycling, including composting demonstrations. Earth Day kits will be available while supplies last.