Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center and Right To Hike Host Annual Earth Day Festival

BUFORD, Ga., (April 14, 2010) - The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation and Right To Hike, Inc. will co-host the 4th annual Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 17, 2010. The event will take place at the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center in Buford, Georgia, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM. The festival is free to the public.

“The Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center’s mission is to educate the community about protecting our environmental and natural resources while preserving our cultural heritage. Our annual Earth Day Festival helps reinforce that mission in a fun and family friendly way,” said Jason West, Director of Development for the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation.

“This year’s festival will feature numerous family activities, eco-friendly crafts, nature walks, recycling opportunities, food, music, and the Eco-Expo, which showcases environmentally friendly products and services,” said West. 

The day will also feature the annual Eco Run, a 5K race that encompasses a challenging course with multiple surfaces. The Eco Run is set to begin at 10:00 AM. A one mile Fun Run will take place at 11:30 AM as well. Registration for the race is available on www.active.com. Participants can also register on-site the day of the race. There is a registration charge for both the Eco Run and the Fun Run.

One special component of the day will be the dedication of a solar powered emergency phone station donated by Right To Hike, Inc. Right To Hike is a non-profit founded in memory of Meredith Emerson, a Gwinnett County resident who was abducted and murdered while hiking a trail in the mountains of Georgia. 

“In Meredith’s memory, Right To Hike promotes hiking and trail safety. With that in mind, we believe that placing emergency phone stations on hiking trails will help people by providing assistance in the event of an accident or when someone is in need, “said Brent Seyler, Vice President of Right To Hike, Inc.

“These phone stations are highly visible and connect the caller with a 911 operator. The device is solar powered and self sufficient,” added Seyler. “The phone stations retail for approximately $4,500.00 per unit, so this is an expensive endeavor but one that Right To Hike believes will help the residents of the community.”

The phone station donated to the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center will be placed in close proximity to a marker and tree placed along a trail named in Emerson’s memory.

Some of the other highlighted activities of the Earth Day Festival include an organic cooking demonstration by Whole Foods Market, an outdoor concert by the Mill Creek High School Orchestra, riding demonstrations by Suwanee Segway, an art exhibit focused on water entitled Water S(our)ce, and a display of some of Chevrolet’s alternative fuel vehicles.

The day will also feature recycling opportunities. Families can bring in their old electronics to recycle. Most electronics are free to recycle but there is a $5.00 charge for computer monitors and a $10.00 charge for televisions.

You can also recycle documents and old x-rays. There is a $3.00 charge for each trash bag or banker’s box of documents.

The Freemasons of Georgia will also be on hand to bring Earth Day participants the GA CHIP (Georgia Child Identification Program), which is designed to raise public awareness concerning the risk of child abduction and exploitation. Participation in the GA CHIP is free of charge and will include full color digital photographs of the child, digital fingerprints, and collected information about the child in the event of an abduction. All the information is given to the parent or guardian to take home and kept confidential. In addition, all volunteers are certified through GA CHIP training and a police officer will be on hand.

For more information contact:

Jason West, Director of Development
Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center Foundation
770-904-3542
Walter.west@gwinnettcounty.com