Celebrate Earth Day 2010 - a free, family-friendly event held rain or shine April 17, 2010

Crawfish, turtles and other wetland creatures will be the guests of honor at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center’s annual Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fun activities for the whole family will include: a puzzle hike to visit an Arboretum pond, children’s “Crawfish Crawl” and “Race to Recycle” activities, carnival games, face painting, kids’ zip line, live music, and hayride. Arboretum memberships will be discounted and those joining will enjoy members-only reception area featuring live animals from the Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society.

Visitors can learn more about greening up their home and garden through composting demonstrations and a native plant sale including wetland plants. Information on the City of Houston’s new yard trimmings guidelines, curbside recycling, and Reuse Warehouse for recycling building materials will be available. Earth Day is sponsored by Waste Management and KUHF. Admission to the event is free. Hayride is $2 per person.

A bustling schedule of year round activities and courses are available for adults, children and families to create a sense of wonder and appreciation for nature. For more information, call 713-681-8433 or visit www.houstonarboretum.org. The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is located at 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston, Texas 77024. Become a fan of The Houston Arboretum on Facebook here: http://tinyurl.com/yc4qhgp. For more information about great classes and events in Houston, visit www.ltbaehr.com.