On April 22, The Wilderness Center (TWC) will be hosting a virtual celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day through social media and at wildernesscenter.org, as staff will share ideas and activities to help our community to get outside enjoying nature. As part of these events, TWC is requesting submissions of artwork for participation in an online gallery show with the theme of “Know. Enjoy. Protect.” Entrants of all ages are encouraged to submit depictions of how they know, enjoy or protect our Earth. Submission guidelines can be found at wildernesscenter.org.
The events of TWC’s Earth Day Celebration, originally slated for April 18th, have been rescheduled. The Native Plant Celebration featuring well-known author Dr. Doug Tallamy has been moved to August 22 from 1:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The event will still include two lectures by Dr. Tallamy, a book signing and a native plant sale. TWC’s tallgrass prairie will be in full bloom in August, allowing for the programming to now include nature walks identifying plants, bees and butterflies. All previous registrations will be honored.
TWC’s 4th annual Wilderness Run, also scheduled for April 18, will now be postponed until November 14 from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Timed 10K and 5K races, along with the popular One-Mile Fun Run for all ages, will continue. Again, all previous registrations will be maintained. Anyone unable to attend on the newly scheduled date should reach out to Vertical Runner Race Management of Wooster, or consider gifting your registration fee as a donation to help sustain The Wilderness Center through this difficult time.
Astronomy Day: Black Holes, originally scheduled for April 4, will also be taking place on November 14. This event will pick-up where the Wilderness Run ends, with activities beginning at 1:00 p.m. and running through 8:00 p.m. The featured speaker for the event will be Dr. Keith Riles from the University of Michigan. Dr. Riles leads the Michigan Gravitational Wave Group and is a member of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration that made the September 2015 discovery of merging black holes. The event will include displays and hands-on activities for kids (parents might enjoy them too!). There will also be planetarium shows and, if clear, observing at the TWC Observatory.
The Native Plant Sale and Gardening Seminars scheduled for April 25 have been cancelled, however the Native Plant Sale will be moving online. Plants can be pre-ordered at wildernesscenter.org, and orders will then be available for pick-up during designated drive-thru times on May 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16. Visit wildernesscenter.org/native-
Visit ww2.pointsoflight.org to find out more about National Volunteer Week and find out how you can make a difference. Use #NationalVolunteerWeek to share on social media.
HISTORY
National Volunteer Week was established by Presidental Proclamation in 1974 to highlight the various opportunities available for those interested in volunteering.
