Join Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge for an Earth Day Celebration

Join the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Saturday, April 17, 2021 as we celebrate Earth Day's 51st Annual Event. This year’s theme is “ReStore Our Earth”.  Earth Day is a time to enjoy the lovely scent of fresh air, clean up some litter, plant a tree, or simply enjoy companionship of the plants and animals that surround us every day. Earth Day reminds us to take care of our planet, connect with nature and ECWR’s first Earth Day event hopes to inspire that connection with the natural world in a fun, socially -distanced way.  If you can’t join us in person, no problem! We will Facebook Live some of the fun so you can watch and join is on some of the fun from home.
 
Why: To offer a family-friendly Earth Day event for our community
Who: Anyone can join the fun!
Cost:  $5.00 per person
What: Visitors can learn what we do at the refuge, meet some of our animal ambassadors, and participate in STEAM based activities and learning stations focused on conservation, celebrating nature, and more! We’ll even have a food truck on site for munchies and treats.
 
What Is Earth Day?  The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. Senator Gaylord Nelson created Earth Day as a way to force the issue that there were no legal or regulatory mechanisms to protect our environment.   Dealing with serious issues concerning toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides, an impressive 20 million Americans (10% of the population) ventured outdoors & protested together.   President Richard Nixon lead the nation in creating the Environmental Protection Agency which followed with successful laws including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act & the Endangered Species Act.  Today, over 1 billion individuals mobilize to participate in Earth Day celebrations in over 190 countries. 
 
About the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge
Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located at 3051 Cloptons Circle in Navarre, FL with the mission of education, conservation, and rehabilitation for the welfare of Florida’s native wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation, and release. In 2020, ECWR had almost 2,000 animals come through their doors, including taking in record-breaking numbers of wildlife in the days following Hurricane Sally. ECWR also operates a Marine Mammal Stranding Program, which responds to and primarily aids marine mammals, but also sea turtles in certain locations. ECWR’s medical/rehab center is open for animal emergencies 7 days a week, 8 am – 4 pm and our Education Center is open to the public Wednesday – Saturday 9 am – 3 pm and Sunday 11 am – 3 pm. If anyone sees an injured wild animal, or any other native wildlife, they should call the ECWR Animal Rescue Helpline at 850.684.1485 for information on how they can help that animal or how to properly bring it to the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge for evaluation and treatment.