North Coast gets early start on Earth Day

Sophia Ferguson was in awe with the sharp claws on the red-tailed hawk. But what mesmerized her the most at the Earth Day celebration at Hopland’s Solar Living Center was the 28-year-old great horned owl, which is from The Bird Rescue Center in Santa Rosa.

“It was really, really, really big,” said Sophia, 5, about the owl, before going on to plant chamomile and lavender seeds in nutrient-packed eggshells, which her parents planned to later plant in their garden.

She and her twin sister, Isabel, also learned to make solar prints using leaves and items from nature during the free event, one of several held throughout the region to promote ecology and respect of the environment.

“We’re trying to show them it’s good to be outside rather than staying inside and watching TV,” said Jon Ferguson, 37, about the twins and their three siblings, ranging from 2 months to 3 years old.

“We live here. (We need) to be good stewards,” added the kids’ mother, Carri Ferguson.

Danica Silva-Angel, 7, agreed.

“The earth is really important to us. … It gives us oxygen and water,” said the Ukiah girl, who attended the event with her family.

She splashed around in a spiral-shaped pond before running off to see the bee hive that Real Goods Solar founder and president John Schaeffer had installed a week ago at the shop, located on the 12-acre site.

“Most people don’t get a chance to see them up close,” Schaeffer said about the honey bees in a glass-covered beehive. There’s an opening in the back of the hive, which allows the 30,000 bees to flow in and out of the box.

Throughout the region, local residents fanned out this weekend, planting native and drought tolerant vegetation and clearing garbage along the coast and in creeks. A festival also was held in downtown Santa Rosa’s Old Courthouse Square to pay homage to Earth Day, which officially celebrates its 45th anniversary on Wednesday.

The event at the Solar Living Center featured music, demonstrations and hands-on activities for children. Visitors from throughout the Bay Area had a chance to learn about ways to conserve and reuse water and how to compost food scraps, including meats and cheeses. They also had a chance to hop on a stationary bicycle and learn about how much energy it takes to power a house and the benefits of solar panels.

Max Meyers, director of Nor Cal Aquaponics, also showed people how to use fish poop to grow lettuce, kale and herbs. He had water pumping from a small fish tank to a small aquaponic growing bed above.

The Earth Day activities are geared to inspire residents and teach them about simply ways to lead sustainable lives, said Tony Novelli, e-commerce manager at Real Goods Solar.

“People are realizing by making small incremental changes, they’re making big (environmental) impacts,” Novelli said. “We have a responsible to share what we know and do something fun.”

Earth Day is a great opportunity.

“It’s a perfect holiday for us,” Schaeffer said.

You can reach Staff Writer ?Eloísa Ruano González at 521-5458 or eloisa.gonzalez@press?demo?crat.com. On Twitter ?@eloisanews.