Edwards to hold Earth Day celebration

  • Published
  • By Darlene Norwood
  • Environmental Management
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Edwards will celebrate Earth Day with free environmental demonstrations, exhibits and information stations in the base exchange parking lot Thursday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event, hosted by Environmental Management, will showcase a large array of on-base environmental efforts.

Each station will feature environmental specialists with information and educational activities in their area of expertise, such as:
· Global Information Services technicians who make and maintain computer-generated maps supporting a variety of environmental efforts on base. At their booth, visitors can see Global Positioning System equipment or learn more about the data GIS generates and the integral part Web mapping plays in the work done by EM.
· Biologists who protect natural resources on base, including the desert tortoise, a threatened species. Their booth will feature lives snakes and tortoises. They are also offering nature tours. For more information on the tours,
· Archaeologists who have found over 3,600 prehistoric and historic sites at Edwards, representing 10,000 years of human presence in the region. Their exhibit will include an archaeological dig for children, demonstrations of flint knapping and a display of artifacts on loan from the Antelope Valley Indian Museum.
· Chemists who work at the Base Environmental Analytical Laboratory and test environmental samples. The chemists will be mixing and serving ice cream made using liquid nitrogen.
· Technicians from the 95th Bioenvironmental Engineering Squadron who are responsible for monitoring and testing drinking water quality at Edwards. Their booth will provide information on how water is tested and includes an exhibit showing the process required for water to percolate through soil.
· Environmental specialists who work to support environmental quality and pollution prevention programs on the base. Their exhibit will provide visitors with information 'how-tos' on recycling household waste, including used batteries.

Current information on environment-friendly vehicles and carpooling can also be found at the Earth Day event. An electric car and a Honda Civic natural gas car will be on display throughout the day.

Earth Day activities at Edwards have been hosted by Environmental Management for the past four years. This year a student craft contest, for which entries were sought from local schools, was part of the events leading up to the Earth Day celebration. The winner of the 2006 craft contest was Kenny Moody, a fifth-grade student from Valley View Elementary in Lancaster, Calif. The winning entry, a piggy bank made from crushed soda cans, wire and a plastic bottle, earned his class a trip to Edwards to attend the Earth Day celebration along with a pizza party.