Edwards AFB News

Team Edwards will celebrate Earth Day May 4

  • Published
  • By Heidi Gesiriech
  • Environmental Management
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif --  Team Edwards will celebrate Earth Day with more than 50 environmental exhibits, activities and information stations set up at the Center of Excellence May 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event is hosted by Environmental Management, with the theme, "Global Climate Change and You."

Each station will feature specialists with information and educational activities about their area of expertise. In addition, Blue Mountain Tribe will perform live music throughout the festival with their blend of blues and rock.

The event will open with the presentation of colors and singing of the national anthem by the Edwards ROTC Color Guard.

Colonel Jerry Gandy, 95th Air Base Wing commander, and Col. Joe Torres, 95th ABW vice commander, will participate in a tree planting at 10:30 a.m. in celebration of Arbor Day.
Two free tours are being offered this year, one to Piute Ponds and the other to see various wildflowers in bloom around base. The tour bus and van will leave the event area at 11 a.m. and return around 1 p.m. Everyone is invited to attend the tours, but advance registration is recommended to ensure a seat.

Several Edwards booster clubs will sell lunch items to include hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, baked goods, cotton candy, deep-fried funnel cakes and drinks.

Along with food, numerous games and displays will be available for everyone to enjoy and learn.  The environmental buzz game will give anyone a chance to test their knowledge on environmental and safety issues and win prizes. McGruff, the crime-fighting dog, Eddie the Edwards Tortoise, and Al Luminum will return to entertain children.

Admission is free and open to the entire base community. If mission requirements allow, and with approval from their supervisors, civilian employees are approved to attend this event without charging leave. Civilian employees who choose not to attend this function must remain at work or take appropriate leave time. In order to ensure that units have adequate coverage, attendance should be staggered. This authorization is not intended for individuals to be excused for the entire duration of the event.  Excusals should be between one or two hours. 

Up-to-the-minute information on ridesharing can be found at the May 4 event. 

To register for either the Piute Ponds or wildflower tour, or for more information about Earth Day events, call 277-7049 or 277-1401. Tour registration is first-come, first-served.

Earth Day displays and activities include the following:

· Xeriscaping and pollution prevention displays.
· The reverse vending machine will make its Edwards debut. Rather than putting money into a machine to buy a drink, visitors can put their empty bottles or cans into the machine and   get money back.
· Best Buy will demonstrate a variety of solar-powered items, including backpacks with built-in solar chargers for phones or MP3 players.
· Security Forces will create child identification kits, and they will engrave personal metal items like bikes and scooters.
· NASA Dryden Flight Research Center will feature an Earth science exhibit and a moon rock.
· The 412th Test Engineering Group will have an F-22 simulator to try out, along with several robots and gadgets to help visitors learn about the field of engineering.
· A farmer's market will include organic produce samples, displays teaching about growing produce at home and cleaning without chemicals. There will also be an opportunity to feed baby goats and select from a variety of cheeses made from organic goat's milk.
· The Mojave National Preserve with the National Park Service will feature interactive presentations with their mascot, Mojave Max.
· Adults will be able to ride in an electric car, and Robertson's Palmdale Honda will display a natural gas Civic GX.
· Natural Resources will feature live snakes and desert tortoises. People can learn why the desert tortoise is listed as a threatened species and more about other animals found on base.
· Cultural Resources will display artifacts representing 12,000 years of human presence in the region. This exhibit will include demonstrations and a walk-in cave where visitors can make their own simulated pictographs.
· Ground Safety will distribute seed cups that you can plant at home.
· The Civil Engineering and Transportation Directorate will raffle off a mountain bike to base residents while teaching about energy conservation.
· Bob the Builder from CE will host an interactive booth to demonstrate construction and engineering principles.
· Boeing will discuss the latest in biofuels technology.
· Chemists will mix and serve ice cream that is frozen using liquid nitrogen, and visitors will learn about pH testing using chemical samples.
· Created Treasures representatives will host face painting at their exhibit.
· The Explosive Ordnance Disposal team will have its response truck and robots at the event.
· Southern California Edison will display a mobile education unit that teaches people how make their homes more energy efficient.
· Specialists who work to support environmental quality programs on base will demonstrate their expertise. The exhibits will provide visitors information on how to recycle household waste and how air quality can be improved using alternative fuels.

The list of exhibits also includes A-PET, whose volunteers will be on hand to present a selection of pets that need homes. Bubble Paper will entertain visitors with their fun and interactive musical show.