Saturation Point
Going Green for Arbor Day
By
Apr 24, 2008 - 4:05:45 PM

In celebration of the upcoming Earth Day and Arbor Day celebrations, I actually was able to manage some time outside in nature.  Walking in silence, with my camera handy, Ben and I explored Rogers Lake Park in Odessa. There was hardly anyone around, with the exception of a wading bird giving us the stink eye from the tall grass.  There were well marked paths and a nice canoe/kayak launch at the ­water’s edge; no motorized vehicles allowed. As we ventured close to the water, we saw animal tracks in the damp sand and discussed how many alligators we believed to be hiding in the dark water. As we wandered around the edge of a grassy patch, we noticed a dugout hole in the sand, protected by tall reeds and at a point where the water dropped off into deeper depths. Ben and I stopped, our hearts pounding.  This looked like the start of a gator nest, and we found ourselves within a foot of this fiercely protected area.  We both joked that we were ready to run, but it would be useless for one of us because gators are fast on land. We continued on and eventually ended up on the dry path through the wooded areas.

I took in all of the greens, berry bushes and critters that called this place home, getting myself motivated for the upcoming Arbor Day celebration. Arbor Day is a nationally celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. It was founded by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska in 1872, and is celebrated nationally on the last Friday in April each year. By taking time to cruise around the arborday.org website, you can learn about your own state and the festivals and activities that are taking place to celebrate Arbor Day. You can even find out when Arbor Day is celebrated around the world. The coolest thing about this website is that you can find out which trees and shrubs grow most readily in your habitat and climate, making a more natural environment in your yard that doesn’t use as much water as non-native plants. If you so choose, you can even order the trees online and have them shipped right to you!

If you are looking for some cool activities to get your family and friends outdoors, you may want to look into the Green Thumb Festival. The Green Thumb Festival is being held in celebration of Arbor Day and Earth Day and will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27. The festival will be located at Walter Fuller Park in St. Petersburg and will offer environmental exhibits, plant clinics, tree giveaways, recycling advice and children’s exhibits.  For more information visit www.stpete.org/parks/greenthumb. Or you can visit www.arborday.org and find out what other ways you can celebrate Arbor Day and get your own green thumb on by changing a few daily habits or by planting more environmentally friendly plants around your house.

 The next time we go back to ­Rogers Lake Park we plan on bringing our bicycles so we can explore the entire lake area trails and leave a very small footprint in the process; going green.

A wading bird that was watching us on the lake

Karey Burek Photos This is the view I saw while looking up through the trees.

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