AUBURN - Families who participated in the Earth Day walk Sunday came away with the satisfaction they helped clean a nature path, a pledge to continue to help the environment and a home-made pine cone bird feeder
The YMCA-WEIU's Young Leaders Club sponsored the nature walk through the trails at the Cayuga Community College.
The hikers received brown paper bags, plastic gloves and a list of items to collect for a scavenger hunt. One category includes three pieces of trash found along the paths.
By early afternoon, 10 plastic bags of garbage sat near the entrance of the one-mile trail that participants and volunteers gathered. They purged mostly snack food wrappers, fast food containers and beverage cans and bottles from the area.
Colin Reilley, 9, helped little brother Brandon, 5, find pine cones and walnuts; “The opened up ones look like a pig's nose,” he told Brandon.
“It's fun because we can find things... in nature,” Colin said. He is a third-grader at Herman Elementary.
Their mother, Tammy Reilley, decided to enjoy the warm weather by bringing the youngsters out for a walk in the nature paths behind the college.
At the end, walkers could make the camp classic craft, a bird feeder made from a pine cone, a swipe of peanut butter and a roll in birdseed. Also, children could have their faces painted and plant a seed that with some sunlight and enough water will turn into a flower.
The last stop of the day was a paper tree that held people's pledges to make a positive impact on the environment written on a leaf-shaped paper. Some promised to turn off lights, others to walk rather than drive, and one person pledged to grow flowers and plants.
“They can make a commitment to do something (good for the environment) we can do everyday,” Susan Scheuerman said of the pledge tree. “It helps to get the kids in the mind set of helping.”
Scheuerman is with the Y-Pals, a mentoring program through the YMCA.
The Young Leaders Club, which consists mostly of high school students, saw Auburn didn't offer too many Earth Day celebrations, so they wanted to have something to commemorate the day.
“This is the first year. We want to make it bigger and better,” camp director Angel Caci said.
Event coordinator Bill Brown Jr. estimated 50 people showed up in the first half of the four-hour event.
They were pleased with the weekend's high temperatures, which dried the paths.
“We walked around here two days ago, and we were soaked,” Brown said.
On Sunday, despite the piles of snow plows pushed off the parking lot last week, the paths were dry and the weather cooperated, attracting people in shorts and t-shirts.
Scheuerman said besides bringing people out and cleaning up the paths, the event served as a reminder that the nature trails are open to the public.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
The hikers received brown paper bags, plastic gloves and a list of items to collect for a scavenger hunt. One category includes three pieces of trash found along the paths.
By early afternoon, 10 plastic bags of garbage sat near the entrance of the one-mile trail that participants and volunteers gathered. They purged mostly snack food wrappers, fast food containers and beverage cans and bottles from the area.
Colin Reilley, 9, helped little brother Brandon, 5, find pine cones and walnuts; “The opened up ones look like a pig's nose,” he told Brandon.
“It's fun because we can find things... in nature,” Colin said. He is a third-grader at Herman Elementary.
Their mother, Tammy Reilley, decided to enjoy the warm weather by bringing the youngsters out for a walk in the nature paths behind the college.
At the end, walkers could make the camp classic craft, a bird feeder made from a pine cone, a swipe of peanut butter and a roll in birdseed. Also, children could have their faces painted and plant a seed that with some sunlight and enough water will turn into a flower.
The last stop of the day was a paper tree that held people's pledges to make a positive impact on the environment written on a leaf-shaped paper. Some promised to turn off lights, others to walk rather than drive, and one person pledged to grow flowers and plants.
“They can make a commitment to do something (good for the environment) we can do everyday,” Susan Scheuerman said of the pledge tree. “It helps to get the kids in the mind set of helping.”
Scheuerman is with the Y-Pals, a mentoring program through the YMCA.
The Young Leaders Club, which consists mostly of high school students, saw Auburn didn't offer too many Earth Day celebrations, so they wanted to have something to commemorate the day.
“This is the first year. We want to make it bigger and better,” camp director Angel Caci said.
Event coordinator Bill Brown Jr. estimated 50 people showed up in the first half of the four-hour event.
They were pleased with the weekend's high temperatures, which dried the paths.
“We walked around here two days ago, and we were soaked,” Brown said.
On Sunday, despite the piles of snow plows pushed off the parking lot last week, the paths were dry and the weather cooperated, attracting people in shorts and t-shirts.
Scheuerman said besides bringing people out and cleaning up the paths, the event served as a reminder that the nature trails are open to the public.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
Citizen
Hot Jobs
New! Off the Menu
The Citizens' Say
Post your comment - click hereThere are No comments posted.