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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Elementary-aged students in Luzerne County will be able to celebrate Earth Day on Friday will a full menu of events in and near Kirby Park.</p><p>John Mayday, executive director of the nonprofit Riverfront Parks Committee, said the day will also include 30 exhibitors, ranging from Pennsylvania American Water to PPL Utilities.</p><p>&#8220;And most of them are interactive,&#8221; Mayday said.</p><p>Though the day is designed for children to learn about ways to protect and save the Earth, it&#8217;s also a &#8220;celebration.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a way to teach students at a very early age,&#8221; said Mayday. &#8220;They can take it with them the rest of their lives.&#8221;</p><p>He said most adults don&#8217;t realize what happens when they throw a plastic bottle on the ground or in a stream.</p><p>Because the Susquehanna River is in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Mayday said throwing a bottle into a stream on a rainy day will cause it to be carried to the river and then into the bay, which leads to the Atlantic Ocean.</p><p>&#8220;It will then circumnavigate the globe,&#8221; he explained, noting by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the world&#8217;s waterways.</p><p>Dr. Brian Mangan, professor of environmental science and biology at King&#8217;s College, said getting children involved in saving the Earth at an early age is &#8220;essential.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s key to have them see people get excited about the environment,&#8221; said Mangan, who has been studying the local river for more than 35 years.</p><p>During that time, the Susquehanna has &#8220;come along way,&#8221; the professor said. Some of the positive changes have been a decrease in mine drainage and an improvement in the water&#8217;s ecosystem.</p><p>Mangan explained bugs, which live at the bottom of the river, have returned and the fish have responded well to the change. The Susquehanna is now also home to a &#8220;significant bass population.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Small habits form big changes,&#8221; Mangan said, noting there is still &#8220;room for improvement.&#8221;</p><p>Mayday said students will visit the &#8220;natural part of Kirby Park&#8221; where the zoo used to be, allowing them to see the different types of flora and fauna that thrive there.</p><p>&#8220;The landscape is constantly changing &#8230; because it floods,&#8221; Mayday said.</p><p>Classes interested in participating in Friday&#8217;s event must be chaperoned.</p><p>For more information or to register your class, call the Penn State Extension at 570-825-1701.</p><p><ins>For other local news stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/local" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A couple walks along the Susquehanna river at Nesbitt Park in late March. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL032817River2CMYK-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>A couple walks along the Susquehanna river at Nesbitt Park in late March. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>More Earth Day events</strong></p><p>There will be a two-day tree planting event celebrating Earth Day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday on Avondale Hill Road, Plymouth Township.</p><p>The field will be filled with over 7,000 seedlings, which will create 10 acres of forest.</p><p>Boots or sturdy shoes are required, but supplies and food will be provided.</p><p>To register, contact Palmira Miller at 570-592-7876 or pmiller@pecpa.org.</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Kirby Park event to celebrate Earth Day