Earth Day In the Garden State

By Brianne Harrison

Earth Day is just around the corner (it falls on April 22 this year). Why not celebrate at some of the family-friendly events going on in and around New Jersey?

At the shore, the Mirth & Earth weekend kicks off on the 18th with the annual Doo Dah Parade (featuring 500 Basset hounds!). This year, the long-running parade will have a green theme. Sunday morning, the End to End Family Bike Tour marks the beginning of the Earth Day celebration. Participants will ride from one end of Ocean City to the other to support local high school programs (register for the bike tour online at OCNJ.us/earthday). The rest of the day will feature environmental exhibits, an entertainment show by the Philadelphia Zoo, games for children, music, food, boat tours, and exhibits from environmental organizations such as the Stockton marine Science Club, the Wetlands Institute, and the New Jersey Academy of Acquatic Sciences.

Up north, the Bronx Zoo is going a bit further by celebrating Earth month. For the month of April, will feature activities ranging from musical performances to eco-crafts to yoga sessions. On April 25, the zoo will host the Run for the Wild 5K run/walk. Funds raised during the event will go towards saving gorillas. Run for a good cause, then stick around for some of the family-friendly activities or the Earth Expo—a showcase of eco-friendly products.

If you can’t make it to the Bronx or Ocean City (or if 5K’s aren’t your cup of tea) there are other ways you can help the earth and environmental causes this year. To find out what you can do, visit earthday.net.