Scat, scamper and burrow: Ormond Beach celebrates Earth Day at the EDC

Ormond Beach's Environmental Discovery Center hosted the annual Earth Day event with a variety of nature-themed activities and informative environmental exhibitors on Saturday, April 19.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 5:00 p.m. April 23, 2025
  • Ormond Beach Observer
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Hunt for bear scat, scamper through a gopher tortoise burrow and score some native plants. It was all part of the fun at Earth Day at the EDC on Saturday, April 19. 

The annual event was held at the Environmental Discovery Center located on Division Street in Ormond Beach where it is surrounded by Central Park, home to a multitude of lakes and walkways. The center staff and volunteers use the event as a platform to educate the public about local ecosystems and their inhabitants in hopes of developing human respect for the environment and its subsequent protection. 

Environmental exhibitors, native plant vendors and guest presenters joined the celebration. Wild About Birds founder Gina Holt greeted attendees with Miko, a Barred Owl, perched on a gloved hand. Holt offers programs highlighting environmental education and raptor conservation. 

Ormond Beach City Arborist and Environmental Improvement Officer Laura Ureta gave out free native trees to residents and advice about their care during the celebration. The Ormond Beach Garden Club also gifted flowering plants to kids.

The Florida Native Plant Society members shared a wealth of information about the importance of native plants to the environment. Member Karen Walter said Earth Day is a perfect day to start that conversation with the public.

Participating in events like this and interacting with the kids is what’s most important. I love seeing that ‘a-ha’ moment when they connect with something in nature and start to care about it."  —RACHELLE SANFORD, Americorp Florida conservationist

“Plants have evolved with the birds and the pollinators — the insects,” she said. “There’s a close-knit relationship. Without one part it, could all fall apart. So we need native plants. We need native birds. We need native insects. They all need each other. It’s a tight circle that they all need if we want to survive.”

Inside the 2,000-square-foot center, staff and volunteers entertained the visitors with a scavenger hunt that consisted of a list of 18 locatable items — a fish fossil, Peninsula Cooter, a Hawksbill turtle and a crocodile fern, to name a few. Environmental specialist Nic Zavala said she enjoyed teaching the children during the event.

“I think it’s incredible that we have this opportunity to show a younger generation how to respect the environment,” she said. “There are a lot of kids that come in and can’t believe these birds have names or that anything alive that’s not a human is something of importance. It’s really interesting to give them that perspective and have them keep that with them wherever they go.”

While Palm Coast resident Liz Roziek helped her daughter Willow color a wildlife mask, Aaliyah Kennedy and her mom Natalie attempted the scavenger hunt. Natalie said her two youngest children are taking an Earth science class this year. She said the event is a perfect opportunity for her two youngest children to get some hands-on experience.

“It reinforces everything they’ve read in a book in real life as it applies to them in Florida,” Natalie said. “You have a generation growing up on screens and TikTok and not real life. They need to know that their actions have consequences, whether good or bad. Developing their awareness as they grow is critical and key.” 

Parents could glean some information about the 80 different species of mosquitos living locally from Volusia County Mosquito Control representatives Mason Sylvester and Savannah Stura while the kids crawled through a gopher tortoise habitat. Americorp member Rachelle Sanford challenged the kids to learn about the keystone species before venturing into its burrow.

“Participating in events like this and interacting with the kids is what’s most important,” Sanford said. “I love seeing that ‘a-ha’ moment when they connect with something in nature and start to care about it. They’re our future. If they don’t care about what’s going on, the people in charge coming down the road aren’t going to care and we’re going to lose all these precious resources.”

 

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