GIVING NATURE A HELPING HAND
Cuteness and conservation highlight Endangered Species Faire Chicoans come out to give the city a spring cleaning
An unlikely guest at the Endangered Species Faire captured the hearts of attendees Saturday.
A baby kangaroo named Clover drew a crowd and applause at an animal show presented by Gabe Kerschner, director of the Placer County-based Conservation Ambassadors' Wild Things, which cares for the animal. Not an endangered species but also not common in the U.S., the kangaroo appeared with several other rescued animals at City Plaza.
BEC puts on the Endangered Species Faire to celebrate the anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. The event featured a parade of endangered species puppets, live animals and numerous booths offering crafts and environmental education.
On top of all the festivities the event's purpose is to educate on “how to live in the in the environment responsibly,” said
“All of these endangered species, they need habitats, they need places to live. Unfortunately, we take up those places when we develop land.” — Jared Geiser, Altacal Audubon Society executive director
Community members collected baseballs, batting gloves, cigarette butts and small plastic trash — among other assorted items — Saturday during the fourth annual Chico Spring Clean Day.
The city holds the event during Earth Day weekend to clean up different parts of Chico. The parks division supplied trash bags, trash grabbers and a free t-shirt to those who volunteered.
Assistant parks and natural resources manager Shane Romain, ran the event's headquarters at Hooker Oak Park helping volunteers sign up and grab their gear. Romain estimated about 150 people volunteered.
Many of the large yellow trash bags volunteers tossed in the dumpster at Hooker Oak Park were nearly empty.
ABOVE: Vanessa Varela, left, and Julia Dressler hold Clyde, a Burmese python, at the Endangered Species Faire in Chico on Saturday.