Charleston County News Release

MEDIA CONTACT

Name:   Jennie Davis, Charleston County Public Information Officer

Phone: 843.958.4012

Email:   jdavis@charlestoncounty.org

Release Number: 2995

Date: April 7, 2009

See winning artwork: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/Newsimages/2009earthday.htm

Charleston County Hosts 2009 Earth Day Festival on April 18    

            Festival will be from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Park Circle in North Charleston

Charleston County’s Solid Waste and Recycling Department will host the 2009 Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 18, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Park Circle in North Charleston.

The County’s 10^th annual Earth Day Festival is a celebration of Charleston County’s environmental community. The festival provides many educational opportunities highlighting Charleston County’s environmental challenges and successes.

“We are excited to host the Earth Day Festival every year,” said Gregg Varner, Charleston County’s Solid Waste and Recycling Director. “It gives us an opportunity to reach out to our community and to share the benefits of all our programs related to waste management and our environment.”

Charleston County’s Earth Day Festival gains in popularity each year. More than 7,000 people attended last year’s event.

Charleston County is asking all participants to help reduce waste and to recycle at the event.

This year’s Earth Day Festival Art Contest winner is Kylie Beall, an eighth grade student at Buist Academy, for her water color painting “Great Egret.” The theme of the Earth Day Festival this year is “Do Your Part, Be Earth Smart,” which is reflected in Beall’s artwork.

Beall will be recognized at the Charleston County Council meeting on Tuesday, April 7, and will be presented with an award at the Earth Day Festival. Her artwork is featured on the Earth Day Festival T-shirt and in advertising for the event.

Highlights of the 2009 Earth Day Festival:

• Race car driver and biologist, Leilani Munter, to speak on environmental issues

• Becky’s Box of Puppets Show

• Home compost information

• Solar Cone food digester composters for sale at a discounted price of $89.23

• Caw Caw Interpretive Center’s Mobile Planetarium

• Hands-on earth science activities

• Recycled fashion show

• Water play with Charleston Water Systems

• Opportunities to improve Park Circle by getting involved in two site improvement projects: storm drain marking and flower bed replanting

• More than 70 environmental activities and educational displays on alternative energy, green building, local and organic agriculture and nutrition, outdoor adventure, animals and habitat preservation, litter, water, recycling, seedlings and compost.

• Numerous food vendors

Scheduled events during the 2009 Earth Day Festival:

• 11-11:45 a.m. Becky’s Box of Puppets―Becky Becker will perform an environmental re-telling of the “Three Little Pigs.” She’ll need help from audience members, so make sure you’re there to participate in the fun.

• 12-12:20 p.m. Keep North Charleston Beautiful will perform a litter and recycling skit of “Wartsville Wizard.” Don’t miss this theatrical show.

• 12:30-12:40 p.m. Celebrate the winner of the Earth Day Art Contest and acknowledge all the key volunteers who make Earth Day Festival a reality.

• 12:40-12:55 p.m. James Island Middle School? students perform “Green Energy Gang”

• 1-1:30 p.m. Listen to Leilani Munter, a world-renown race car driver and trained biologist, speak about her mission of educating the public about global environmental issues. Be sure to visit her booth later to get autographs.

• 1:30-2 p.m. It’s recycled fashion at its best! Check out the recycled fashion show called “Avant Garbage” organized by Erin Keegan, a Charleston resident, and College of Charleston fashion design students.

• 2-3 p.m. Roger Bellow and the Drifting Troubadors show. Listen to swing, old time, blues, bluegrass and a Spanish and English language sing-along. This is a four-piece band with special guests.

Charleston County’s 2009 Earth Day Festival is sponsored by:

• Charleston County Government

• Nucor Steel

• Charleston Water Systems

• North Charleston Recreation Department

• City of North Charleston

• Production Design Associates

• Earth Grains

National Earth Day in 2009 is Wednesday, April 22, and was established as nationally recognized day in 1970.

Visit the Charleston County Web site at www.charlestoncounty.org for news, services and up-to-date information relating to Charleston County Government.