The WNY Earth Day Exposition to be held a the Buffalo State College Sports Arena on Saturday, April 20, 2002 from 10am – 5pm will feature a full schedule of FREE activities for children and adults. Kids’ activities are for all ages, and include:

• All children are encouraged to participate in the Earth Day Scavenger Hunt by picking up a question sheet at the Sierra Club table. To find the answers, kids must hunt down various displays throughout the Exposition! Complete the hunt and receive a prize!

• There’s musical fun for children and adults alike! Come sing along with folk guitarist and singer Nan Hoffman, who will teach her repertoire of earth-friendly songs. These catchy tunes will have everyone in the Earth Day mood!

• When you hear the word "pond," you probably think of ducks and fish. But below the water’s surface is a whole world of teeny-tiny critters and plants. What purpose do they serve? How is everything we see and don’t see connected? The folks from the Buffalo Audubon Society’s Beaver Meadow Nature Center will help answer these questions, as well as give kids the chance to explore the world of a pond through hands-on activities with real pond water and live specimens!

• After delving into the watery world, turn your attention to the skies and the creatures that call the trees home when Sharon Tiburzi of Owl Facts, brings out some nocturnal birds of prey. Come listen to a great presentation on owls, and see these beautiful birds close-up!

• Have you ever flipped a rock to find creepy crawlies hiding underneath? Well, here’s your chance to talk with James Vitale, who will demonstrate the virtues of reptiles and amphibians from around the world, including those in our own backyards. Catch a glimpse of some really neat critters that you might not see anywhere else!

• There’s no better time to learn about rocks than at an Earth Day celebration! The Hamburg Natural History Society owns and operates the world-class environmental education facility known as Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education Center. At the Penn Dixie demonstration, children can dig for their own fossils to keep as souvenirs. Learn about the geological history of the region, the ancient life that once lived here, as well as the processes responsible for the creation of the Great Lakes. Make sure to visit the Penn Dixie table and see some fossils that are older than dinosaurs!

• Students are invited to participate in activities to earn the EPA Environmental Youth Award Lake Erie Patch, conducted by the Center for Great Lakes Environmental Education. Kids will learn about Lake Erie at an interactive workshop offered throughout the day, and Boy and Girl Scouts will have the opportunity to work toward a new patch for their collections.

• Also, stop by the Mural Creation station, and create a work of art to add to the Earth Day Mural!

Adult Programs for the day include:

Sally Cunningham, organic gardening writer and Extension Educator, will present: "Keeping Your Yard, Garden, and Neighborhood Nature-Friendly: What Every Citizen Needs to Know." The talk will include facts and tips for gardeners, homeowners, or environmental advocates, about recommended care of trees, lawns, soil, food and flower gardens, insects, water quality, and natural habitat. Her lively, often humorous, presentation will provide take-home facts as well as inspiration for carrying the Earth Day message forward to use every day of the year.