Ypsilanti Community Schools students and their families were invited to participate in an Earth Day celebration April 22 at Erickson Elementary School in Ypsilanti Township. Visitors were treated to a free meal and a "passport" of activities to check off.

For example, the Michigan Nutrition Network was in attendance, giving away kitchen tools like whisks and spatulas as well as tips for families who want to eat healthier. Other stations gave visitors a chance to learn about soil, participate in a storytime, or make a seed ball. 

Here are a few of the sights we saw at the event:

University of Michigan student volunteers in veggie costumes welcomed visitors to Earth Day.

Various community groups offered booths with resources, activities, and information about food and nature, including a chance to see a beehive up close.

Families had the chance to meet tarantulas and turtles, courtesy of the Creature Teacher.

TC Collins of Willow Run Acres and the Willow Ann Ypsi 4-H Club talked about gardening and gave away seed potatoes during the event.

Representatives from the Ypsilanti District Library brought mechanical bug kits to Earth Day.

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She joined Concentrate as a news writer in early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to other Issue Media Group publications. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photos by Sarah Rigg.