Tiny house tours and other activities to highlight ways to live more sustainably
The public is invited to a free April 20 Earth Day celebration planned in downtown Sarasota that will feature music, food for purchase, prizes, tours of a tiny home “and a wealth of information on how individuals can help the planet,” the county has announced.
The family-friendly festival, which will be co-hosted by the City of Sarasota and Sarasota County Government, will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Selby Five Points Park, located at 1 Central Ave. “Residents and downtown employees are encouraged to stop by during their lunch breaks,” a news release adds.
“It will be a fun event, focused on simple actions everyone can take to reduce their environmental footprint,” said Lee Hayes Byron, Sarasota County’s Sustainability program manager, in the release.
The Five Points event will show visitors how to live and work more sustainably, offering information on cutting energy use, exploring nature, carpooling, buying/growing local foods and composting, among other topics, the release notes. Visitors may view electric vehicles, learn about the global Earth Day 2018 theme of ending plastic pollution, and enter a City of Sarasota raffle that will award trees and sustainability-related prizes, the release adds.
Attendees are encouraged to travel to the event in a sustainable way, such as walking, biking, using the i-Ride electric shuttle or riding a Sarasota County Area Transit (SCAT) bus, the release says. SCAT will offer free “Try Transit Day” service for all riders that day, the release points out.
“Earth Day has been celebrated nationally since 1970 as a way to raise awareness of air and water pollution and to highlight actions that help create a healthier planet and people,” the release explains. “The city and county have a long history of environmental leadership, and have collaborated on this event to demonstrate their shared commitment to environmental protection and sustainability education,” the release notes.
April, which is celebrated as Earth Month, also offers other environmentally themed activities, the release says. They include Sarasota County Extension classes, county library programs, nature walks at county parks and preserves, and a community meeting on the City of Sarasota’s 100% renewable energy commitment, the release adds.
Additionally, the City of Sarasota will give away a limited number of trees at the Newtown Farmers Market on April 20 and through arborday.org/Sarasota on April 23, the release points out.
Learn more at www.scgov.net and www.SarasotaFL.gov.