Enjoy Earth Day Activities at the Wylde Center Sunday, April 24 -- Bee Wylde!

The Wylde Center, in partnership with the Oakhurst Neighborhood Association, will celebrate Earth Day with a family-friendly festival Sunday, April 24 from noon-4 p.m. in two Decatur locations: Oakhurst Garden, 435 Oakview Road, and Harmony Park, just a few blocks away at Oakview Road and East Lake Dr. This year’s bee-themed event is called “Earth Day Festival: BEE Wylde!”, and will feature activities for children and adults. Participants will enjoy live music, a costume contest, puppet-making and “Flight of the Puppet Bee” procession, craft activities, scavenger hunts and a parade. The festival is free, although there is a charge for refreshments. http://wyldecenter.org/2016-earth-day-page/. Rain or shine.

“The theme of this year’s Earth Day event is ‘Let There be Bees on Earth’, which focuses on the importance of bees in a fun, friendly way,” said Stephanie Van Parys, executive director of the Wylde Center. “Bees pollinate crops, flowers, trees and shrubs as they move from flower to flower, and it’s not an exaggeration to say the natural world as we know it would not exist without bees. In recent years, the bee population has been declining, so it’s more important than ever for us to learn about them and do all we can to help them survive and thrive.”

“Earth Day Festival: BEE Wylde!” is sponsored by Soulshine, The Waldorf School, Arlene Dean Quality Homes, Bubbling Creek and Sherwood Chiropractic Center. Additional Earth Day activities will include:

· A Bee-Themed Costume Parade led by the Seed and Feed Marching Abominable Band (parade begins at 12:30 p.m. and moves from Harmony Park to Oakhurst Garden)

· Oakhurst Community Choir performance in Harmony Park

· Make a Honey Bee puppet workshop with Damon Young, followed by a puppet parade

· Arts & Crafts for kids

· Scavenger hunt for kids

· Various bee-oriented demonstrations

· Live music by No Komment, Carlos Danger and Emma Holmes

· Sally Wylde Award presentation and announcement of the Earth Day T-shirt contest winner

· Refreshments for sale by local restaurants

According to www.earthday.org, Earth Day is the largest civic event in the world, celebrated on or around April 22 by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. Founded in 1970, the movement promotes year-round environmental awareness and action.