December’s Second Saturday event was themed Environmental Health and Pollution Clean Up.  Visitors were invited to learn about our environment, view and take an active role in demonstrations, and participate in painting and recycled paper making. Graduate and Post Graduate students from the University of California Riverside (UCR) presented information and demonstrations on air quality and combustion; water quality and aquifers; the Pacific Ocean gyre; and bacteria.

Pollution often seems like an overwhelming problem that our world faces but small steps taken by us all can make a difference.  Some changes include developing good conservative habits, carpooling, and using reusable items to limit our consumption of disposable goods.  To give visitors a head start on California’s switch over from plastic disposable bags to reusable ones, the center provided visitors with canvas bags and paint to decorate them.  The result was an enjoyable afternoon and in the future less disposable bags in landfills!

Please come out and join us on our next Second Saturday event in January 2015 as we talk about animal tracks!

The nature center would like to thank its volunteers that helped to make this event successful!