The Leslie Science & Nature Center 47th annual Earth Day Festival will take place from noon to 4 p.m., April 22. With more than 30 local environmental, nonprofit and governmental organizations; live animal demonstrations; learning presentations around sustainable living; hands-on activities; live entertainment; crafts; green building and commuting solutions; energy topics; water awareness; recycling topics; sustainable agriculture; and more.

There is an all-species parade, where children are encouraged to wear a costume celebrating their favorite plant or animal as they parade throughout the site at 2:15 p.m.; a performance by local singer, songwriter and educator Joe Reilly at 2:30 p.m.; live animal experiences with amphibians, reptiles and birds of prey.

Other highlights include Earth Day learning presentations featured in the DTE Energy House; Naturalist-led hikes through Black Pond Woods; and Wind Energy Activities by the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.

The festival will be a zero-waste event, with the help of Recycle Ann Arbor. Visitors can help keep up the average of 90 percent waste diverted from the landfill during the Earth Day event by bringing a reusable water bottle and putting their waste in the proper receptacles.

 

Admission is free. Location: 1831 Traver Rd., Ann Arbor. For more information, visit a2earthday.org.