Get Wild About the Earth!

On Sunday, April 27th, bring the whole family to Trailside Nature Center for the annual Wild Earth Fest, 11 am to 5 pm, rain or shine! You don’t want to miss this jam-packed day of eco-themed activities, including live animal demonstrations, music, face painting, recycling olympics, giveaways, special vendors, and more.

Are you talented with a camera? Better yet, is your kid a budding photographer? You both can enter the Wildlife Photography Contest (winners announced at the Earth Fest and prizes will be given!). There are three categories broken down by ages: adult; ages 12-17; and ages 6-11. The contest is open to amateurs only. Images of pets or exotic wildlife are excluded. Individuals may submit a maximum of two unmounted 5×7″ photos. Each submission must be accompanied by an entry form (found at Trailside and also in the Westfield Recreation Dept.). All entries must be received by Friday, April 11th! See additional rules on the entry forms.

 

 

 Also announced at Earth Fest will be the 2014 Environmental Hero Awards. If you know an individual or organization that is committed to the improvement of our environment, you can nominate them for the award. Each entry must include: an essay describing why the nominee is qualified to receive the award; the contact information of the nominator and nominee (name, age, address, phone number, email); and photographs to accompany the essay. Nominations can be emailed to: bnovorro@ucnj.org. Again, entries must be received by April 11th. 

 If you haven’t been to Trailside Nature Center before, the Earth Fest will be a great introduction to this little gem in our community. Trailside is nestled in the heart of Watchung Reservation, so you can really make a day of it and enjoy a leisurely hike, a picnic lunch, and/or the HUGE new playground before the Fest even begins. Inside the Center you’ll find several live-animal exhibits, such as gorgeous fish, turtles, and snakes, plus hands-on science exhibits and activities, a teepee to explore, and a children’s library to browse.

The fee to attend Wild Earth Fest is $4 per person, but children 6 and under are free! Trailside Nature Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside. www.ucnj.org/trailside