South Placer celebrates Earth Day

Earth Day is this Friday, April 22. Schools and communities throughout south Placer have planned special events throughout the week and this weekend to recognize the importance of improving our planet. Loomis is hosting its Earth Day and National Forest Day Celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Loomis Library and Community Learning Center at 6050 Drive in Loomis. There, attendees will be able to plant seeds for a butterfly garden. According to Loomis library officials, "Butterﬂies are not only fun to watch but they serve a critical purpose as well. Butterﬂies and other pollinators including bees, moths, birds, and bats pollinate over 75 percent of the world's ﬂowering plants." The city of Rocklin will have "Rocklin Clean Up Day" from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. This citywide effort encourages residents to collect any and all electric waste. According to the city of Rocklin website, electric waste, or "e-waste", consists of computers, monitors, laptops, plasma television sets, stereo equipment, speakers, tape recorders, phones, radios, microwaves, calculators, etc. The three drop-off locations in Rocklin where residents can bring their electronic waste are: Sierra College, in the overflow parking lot on Rocklin Road and El Don Road.The city of Rocklin Corporation Yard, located at 4081 Alvis Court. Whitney Park at 1801 Whitney Ranch Parkway in Rocklin. In addition, the Goddard School of Rocklin has celebrated Earth Day throughout this whole week. The Goddard School of Rocklin currently has dozens of 6 week olds to 6-years-old enrolled from Rocklin, Lincoln and Roseville, according to Goddard School of Rocklin's director of operations Mallorie Wright. The Goddard School's Earth Day activities and lesson plans have included making musical instruments and art out of recycled materials and creating classroom planters out of tin cans. On Friday, the Goddard School was to host two additional events, after press time, to teach students about the importance of "going green" not just in honor of Earth Day but throughout the entire school year. First, the students participate in "Lights Out" Hour, where they learn energy reduction. Then the students participated in the annual "Trash to Trendy" Fashion Show. During this event, students and staff make runway outfits entirely out of recycled materials. Wright established this week-long celebration of Earth Day last year. "I've been really trying to teach them (students and faculty) how to repurpose and reuse (throughout the week)," Wright said. "Our whole mission (at Goddard School) is wanting and preparing these kids to be 'life ready'," added Goddard School public relations specialist Michelle Engro. "We don't just focus on math and reading, (our curriculum) is about the world around them and making them socially and individually aware." Earth Day is nationally observed on April 22, which is Friday.