Celebrate Earth Day All Month Long!

by Jennifer Yarbrough for St. Johns Magazine

Go to the Annual 
Bartram Bash
On April 18, 2015 from 9am- 3pm the St. Johns County Parks and Recreation  Department will hold our area’s oldest celebration of Earth Day and William Bartram’s Birthday at Alpine Groves Park.  2060 SR 13, 32259.  William Bartram was America’s first native-born botanist who explored this area.  There will be guided nature walks and kayaking, live bands, children’s activities, and a boat similar to what Bartram would have used on display.  Be sure to catch an appearance by William Bartram himself---portrayed by Mike Adams.  For more information, contact AyoLane Halusky, Park Naturalist at 209-0348.

Get Berry Local
April is officially “Strawberry Month!”  Many of the strawberries that you will see at supermarkets this time of year come from Plant City, Florida, THE strawberry capital of Florida!  Pick up some of those beauties and top everything with them—pancakes, yogurt, ice cream, even salads!  There’s only one issue I sometimes have with strawberries—and that’s the difference in ripeness among the berries in the container, the easy solution is to clean and slice them to your liking, or leave them whole, mix in a teaspoon of sugar and let sit for a couple of hours and voila—all as sweet as can be!

Sweeten Up, 
Naturally!
Check out one of our many local Farmer’s Markets and pick up some local honey!  Honey is a great alternative to many sweeteners and is good for your health!  Honey contains vitamins and minerals and is said to be good for seasonal allergy sufferers, as long as you eat honey from your area.

Get Crafty
Look around your house for items that you can use to make crafts with your kids!  A favorite at our house is the pizza box board game—take a cleaned out pizza box, some construction paper you have laying around and anything else you can find and make your own game!  Toilet paper and paper towel rolls are another item that can be transformed into a pirate’s spyglass, a wand or even aliens (see photo)! 

Invite Butterflies to Your Garden
Butterflies play an important role in the ecosystem, but many species are dying!  You can help and have fun with your kids by planting a Butterfly Garden!  Kids love planting the garden and then watching for and identifying the butterflies that come to visit.  Plants that grow well in our area that attract butterflies are the firebush, lantana, pentas, milkweed and salvia. 

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