SEBASTIAN — Though the skies threatened to open up and drench Sebastian’s fifth annual Earth Day/Arbor Day celebration at Riverview Park Saturday, hundreds of visitors turned out, undeterred, ready to learn more about “going green” and minimizing their impact on the environment.
David Krzemien is a self-proclaimed environmentalist and “green” person, “without a doubt,” he said – a “true believer” that there is far too much pollution in this world.
For him, it was the second year in a row he’s made it out to Earth Day at Riverview Park, having participated in a beach cleanup last year and finding out about the event.
“It’s interesting,” Krzemien said of visiting the different eco-friendly booths and learning what each group has to offer.
New to the Earth Day celebration this year was a children’s fishing clinic, hosted by the Sebastian Fishing Club. Seventy-five children showed up to learn how to fish or, for some, learn new skills related to fishing.
Seven-year-old Lilian Cooney, who came out to the event with her grandma, Andrea Cooney, said she wanted to participate in the clinic because “I just like fishing.”
Cooney said she loves catching fish and being outside.
Since she already knew the basics, Cooney said she focused on learning something new, like tying the hook on the fishing line.
“It wasn’t really easy,” she said, adding that she’d get better with practice.
Bill Russell, a member of the Sebastian Fishing Club and organizer of the Hooked on Fishing kids’ clinic, said the threat of the weather kept a few children who registered from attending the event Saturday, but was overall happy with the turnout.
This was the first time the club had organized the clinic in conjunction with the city’s Earth Day festivities.
For the club, the clinic served two purposes – introduce children to fishing and provide the necessary gear to those who wouldn’t otherwise been able to afford a rod and reel.
To see a child who’s never fished before actually catch one, “it’s worth a million dollars,” Russell said.
The club is able to provide the rods and reels through funding from the Florida fishing license plates, according to Russell.
Looking ahead to next year, he said the group might consider adding a lesson on boat safety for the children.
Sebastian’s Natural Resources Board members could not have been happier with the weather, despite the constant threat of rain.
“It’s perfect,” said Board Chair Robin Graves. “The sun’s not blazing.”
She did note that some of the vendors and organizations that had signed up to be at the event dropped out at the last minute due to Friday’s storms.
Regardless of the few that declined to participate, Graves said it was still important for the board and the city to put on the annual event.
“You need to take care of your planet and the place you live or you won’t have a place to live,” she said.
One of the organizations on hand to inform visitors about the importance of doing just that was Keep Indian River Beautiful, which had on display various items from its reuse store located at the Indian River Mall in Vero Beach.
“We want to keep Indian River beautiful,” said Executive Director Vicki Wild, adding that participating in the Earth Day celebration serves as a way to get their word out and raise awareness.
Other organizations included the Indian River Lagoon Program, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Pelican Island Garden Club, Cub Scout Pack 568, the Master Gardeners, the Sebastian River High School Green Club, and the Pelican Island Audubon Society, to name a few.
Tanya Goldsmith, a volunteer with the Master Gardeners, showed off her worm “farm” – a box containing earthworms and what was once kitchen scraps and a cotton T-shirt but had since been converted to “black gold” – fertilizer.
Some children wanted to take the worms home with them, Goldsmith said. The parents declined.
Girl Scout Troops 50003 and 50868 were tapped to run the children’s eco-friendly craft booth after Troop Leader Apryl Moyer, of Troop 50003, contacted the city offering the troops’ assistance.
Using re-purposed egg cartons cut into individual squares, the Scouts instructed children how to glue eyes and other recycled bits onto the squares to form “little critters.”
“Girl Scouts has always promoted conservation,” Moyer said. “We’re celebrating 100 years and still promoting conservation, especially in our own backyard.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the Sebastian Fishing Club is encouraged to contact Bill Russell by calling (772) 388-2274 or emailing russell43us@yahoo.com. The club meets on the last Wednesday of the month at the North County library on County Road 512 at 7 p.m.
Those interested in learning more about the Girl Scouts, joining a troop or becoming a troop leader can visit www.gssef.org (the Girl Scouts of South East Florida). Registration forms can be found there. There are troops that meet after school as well as those that meet in the evening.