On May 7, learners at Mineola’s Hampton Street School participated in the annual Earth Celebration, a fun-filled day of activities, including special visitors and hands-on learning, focused on raising awareness about the importance of caring for the planet.

Students from kindergarten through second grade went on a nature scavenger hunt, looking for leaves, birds, flowers and insects in the school yard. They also dug their own dirt to plant seeds of their choice. To teach about recycling, teams completed in the Recycling Relay Race where they had to determine which bin each recycling item belongs in. Students also decorated reusable tote bags that they got to keep.

Inside the school, students had the chance to see wildlife up close. Jungle Bob introduced the learners to a tarantula, millipede, boa constrictor, tree frog and, the star of the show, Castro the Cuban rock iguana. Volunteers for Wildlife told the students about their efforts to help injured animals on Long Island, and brought Marcus, a great horned owl, for the students to meet.