According to Internet Media: How about a lasagna garden to cook up some green interest on Earth Day?
Or maybe hybrid and electric cars to drive home the point of environmental stewardship?
There's all that and more for children and adults at the first DeSoto County Earth Day on April 30 from 8 a.m. to noon on the courthouse square in Hernando.
"It's one of the most exciting things to happen for the cities and the county in a long time," said Vanessa Lynchard, DeSoto administrative services director and Earth Day chief coordinator. "It's a totally collaborative event" sprouting from a partnership of government agencies including the DeSoto Board of Supervisors, private vendors and citizen activists.
"We're hoping to encourage everyone to go green and do things to preserve the valuable things we already have," said Meleiah Hill, information and education specialist with another of the partners, the DeSoto Soil and Water Conservation District office.
"It's for everyone -- it's a family thing," Hill said.
With a community arts grant from Entergy, the DeSoto Arts Council is sponsoring an art contest for students in grades 9-12 enrolled in county public, private or home-schools. Themes for paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures or other media are Earth Day, conservation or green energy. To register, contact the Arts Council online at dac@desotoarts.com or call (662) 404-5458.
Award-winning art will be displayed at the Spring Show that evening at the DeSoto Arts Gallery at 660 W. Commerce St.
The popular Hernando Farmers Market starts this day too, with its bounty of natural foods and products.
Vendors will talk about local plants, "which being more adapted to our climate and soil would require less expense to care for," said Lynchard. And give "menus for lasagna gardening: No-dig, no-till approaches that are created by layering organic materials wherever wanted to make a new garden.
"So if you live on a small, small lot, you can still do some gardening," said Lynchard.
Other Earth Day partners include the cities of Horn Lake, Olive Branch, Southaven, Hernando and Walls, along with DeSoto Greenways, Leadership DeSoto, and area Master Gardeners and Urban Foresters of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
"We'd like it to be an annual event," said Hill, "and see it grow and grow. We're already looking for more vendors."
Or maybe hybrid and electric cars to drive home the point of environmental stewardship?
There's all that and more for children and adults at the first DeSoto County Earth Day on April 30 from 8 a.m. to noon on the courthouse square in Hernando.
"It's one of the most exciting things to happen for the cities and the county in a long time," said Vanessa Lynchard, DeSoto administrative services director and Earth Day chief coordinator. "It's a totally collaborative event" sprouting from a partnership of government agencies including the DeSoto Board of Supervisors, private vendors and citizen activists.
"We're hoping to encourage everyone to go green and do things to preserve the valuable things we already have," said Meleiah Hill, information and education specialist with another of the partners, the DeSoto Soil and Water Conservation District office.
"It's for everyone -- it's a family thing," Hill said.
With a community arts grant from Entergy, the DeSoto Arts Council is sponsoring an art contest for students in grades 9-12 enrolled in county public, private or home-schools. Themes for paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures or other media are Earth Day, conservation or green energy. To register, contact the Arts Council online at dac@desotoarts.com or call (662) 404-5458.
Award-winning art will be displayed at the Spring Show that evening at the DeSoto Arts Gallery at 660 W. Commerce St.
The popular Hernando Farmers Market starts this day too, with its bounty of natural foods and products.
Vendors will talk about local plants, "which being more adapted to our climate and soil would require less expense to care for," said Lynchard. And give "menus for lasagna gardening: No-dig, no-till approaches that are created by layering organic materials wherever wanted to make a new garden.
"So if you live on a small, small lot, you can still do some gardening," said Lynchard.
Other Earth Day partners include the cities of Horn Lake, Olive Branch, Southaven, Hernando and Walls, along with DeSoto Greenways, Leadership DeSoto, and area Master Gardeners and Urban Foresters of the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
"We'd like it to be an annual event," said Hill, "and see it grow and grow. We're already looking for more vendors."
