Earth Day Celebrations

"Earth day is great it increases awareness about social responsibility for the environment and it teaches the kids to have more responsibility," said visitor Shunna Cannon.

But there's an educational aspect to all this fun, too.

"Things like the conservation station where we have earthworms in the dirt and kids are playing around in the dirt and not only touching and feeling the worms, but finding out the importance of the worms here, on earth," explained Katrina Cade of the Birmingham Zoo.

That message of conservation continued at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Sunday with what organizers are calling the largest Earth Cay celebration in Alabama.

"When you've reduced the amount of water in your river, you've basically reduced your ability to dilute the pollution," said April Hall of the Alabama Rivers Alliance, which had one of 40 different booths emphasizing various aspects of environmental improvement.

Andrew Krebbs of the Botanical Gardens said, "Really what we hope is that everyone walks away with at least a knowledge and understanding that you don't have to do everything to make the world a better place, but even doing the small things count and it counts in a big way."

Earth day is actually on April 22nd. The observance was started in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin.