SHERBURNE – Rogers Environmental Education Center, in partnership with the Chenango County Environmental Management Council and Friends of Rogers, Inc., will hold its annual Earth Fest on Saturday, in celebration of Earth Day, May Day and Arbor Day.

The yearly gathering, which typically draws upwards of 500 people, will feature a host of activities for attendees of all ages to enjoy, including canoeing and kayaking tryouts on the Cunningham Ice Pond, artist demonstrations, a variety of “green” games, raffles, a tree and shrub giveaway (wild raisin, witch hazel, red oak, mountain ash, scotch pine and red cedar will be available), fly tying and casting and much more, according to Rogers Environmental Educator Laura Carey, who added that the “hilarious” Ithaca-based Compost Theater will once again return to the festival.

“This is a fun way to get people outside and connected with nature,” said Carey, who coordinates Earth Fest. “We want to help people find ways to have fun outside, observing nature, fishing, hiking or boating. It’s good for our health and the health of the planet.”

Carey stated that environmental awareness is a primary focus during the event, due to current challenges such as global warming and climate change, and stressed that “there’s a lot of work to be done” and “people need to be aware of the things we can do to lessen our impact.”

There will be a wealth of earth-friendly information available throughout the day, including a variety of material available at the center’s environmental literacy table, reported Carey, aimed at “finding ways to teach people what it means to be environmentally literate and decreasing our carbon footprint.”

“We’re trying to help people make that direct connection between doing simple things like recycling, driving efficiently, growing their own food and bringing your own bag to the grocery store, and the impact these things can have on the climate,” she said.