Friday, April 17th, 2009—Launch of Earth Day Weekend!
7:00-8:30p Earth Day Family Night! Join Park interpreters and educators for an evening of song, entertainment and fun—launch Earth Day weekend off right! The evening includes a sing-a-long and a dramatization of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss at the Yosemite Lodge Amphitheater. Look for a special visit from the Yosemite National Park Marching Band! A great family program! Yosemite Lodge at the Falls Amphitheatre (Garden Terrace if weather is inclement.)
Saturday, April 18th, 2009
Staying in Wawona? A specially provided shuttle bus has been arranged to take you to Earth Day events in Yosemite Valley.
8:30am Wawona Hotel Shuttle to Yosemite Valley Earth Day events departs Wawona, Inquire at the front desk for more information.
Yosemite Valley Events
8:30am Photo Walk: Ansel Adams and the Yosemite Landscape- Join the Ansel Adams Gallery for a 1.5 hour interpretive walk to learn more about Ansel's contributions to the environmental movement. Open to all levels, bring you camera!
10:30a-2:00p
• Yosemite Village Mall Celebration, Wander between the Village Store and the Visitor Center to learn more about the NPS "Do Your Part Parks" program and how the changing climate is affecting the management of Yosemite's natural resources. See displays with information on the bear patrol program, invasive plant management, and learn more about the Park's geologic and hydrologic features. Find out how the park is implementing sustainability practices; get a close-up view of hybrid vehicles from the DNC transportation fleet, and more from Yosemite Institute, Yosemite Association, and DNC’s “GreenPath” efforts.
• Children’s Tent: Stop in at the kid's booth for easy kid and earth friendly crafts & facepainting.
• Earth-Friendly Products, The Village Store sells 500 sustainable/organic products and about 30% of our Health and Beauty Aids are also sustainable/organic. Stop by the Village Mall to visit with vendors and receive free samples.
11:00am Propane Bottle Recycler Ribbon Cutting & Demonstration, Join Acting Superintendent David V. Uberuaga at the ribbon cutting ceremony and demonstration of the new propane bottle recycler which will save Yosemite money in annual hazardous waste disposal costs and help protect the earth by recycling the steel bottles and reusing the leftover propane, Yosemite Village Mall.
11:30-1:30p Sustainable “Salad Bar” Tasting, Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts has a company-wide initiative to incorporate sustainable practices into all business decisions. Come by the tables in front of the Visitor Center to sample some of the organic and sustainable foods used in DNC at Yosemite’s kitchens.
12:00pm—4:00pm Universal Waste Collection, Stop by to the Village Recycling Center to drop off that old TV set, computer or spent fluorescent lamps. In addition, learn a bit more about universal and electronic waste.
1:00pm—5:00pm Photography Class-In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams- Photographer Ansel Adams immortalized Yosemite through his classic black & white images, while helping to motivate the American environmental movement. Visit a number of locations from where Ansel composed some of his most famous images. Info/tickets at the Gallery.
1:00pm-2:00pm Earth Day Cake & Lemonade, Enjoy Earth Day Cake in front of the Valley Visitor Center!
2:30pm Earth Day Family Walk-- Energy and Evolution: Nature's Power Sources, Bring the entire family for a journey through Time that will take you from the farthest reaches of the vast Universe to the inside of the tiniest flower in Yosemite Valley and the connections they each share. Meet in front of Valley Visitor Center.
3:00pm—4:00pm Fine Print Tour, Ansel Adams is well known for his beautiful imagery of Yosemite and the West. Join Curator, Glenn Crosby for a presentation of Ansel's original photographs and discuss Ansel's contribution to photography and the environment. Ansel Adams Gallery
4:30pm – 5:45pm Poetry and Parks: A Walk and Reading, NPS Ranger Margaret Eissler will take visitors on an easy stroll. Meet on the lawn behind The Ahwahnee.
8:30-9:30pm Yosemite Theatre presents Lee Stetson in" The Spirit of John Muir". Who better to hear from as Earth Day approaches than one of Yosemite’s environmental heroes? Join Lee Stetson as he portrays John Muir for a free performance at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls Amphitheater.
Sunday, April 19th
Yosemite Valley Activities
o 8:30am Photo Walk: Ansel Adams and the Yosemite Landscape, Ansel Adams and the Yosemite Landscape- Join the Ansel Adams Gallery for a 1.5 hour interpretive walk to learn more about Ansel's contributions to the environmental movement. Open to all levels, bring you camera!
o 12:00pm—4:00pm Universal Waste Collection, Stop by to the Village Recycling Center to drop off that old TV set, computer or spent fluorescent lamps. In addition, learn a bit more about universal and electronic waste.
o 1:00pm—5:00pm Photography Class-In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams, Photographer Ansel Adams immortalized Yosemite through his classic black & white images, while helping to motivate the American environmental movement. Visit a number of locations from where Ansel composed some of his most famous images. Info/tickets at the Gallery.
o 2:00pm Earth Day Cake at The Ansel Adams Gallery, In celebration of Earth Day and the spring season, join the Gallery for cake and punch, served until the cake is gone!
o 3:00—4:00pm Fine Print Tour, Ansel Adams is well known for his beautiful imagery of Yosemite and the West. Join Curator, Glenn Crosby for a presentation of Ansel's original photographs and discuss Ansel's contribution to photography and the environment. Ansel Adams Gallery
o 8:30—9:30pm An Evening with a Ranger, Join us at the Yosemite Lodge Amphitheatre for this evening program.
Wawona Activities
o 10:00am & 2:00pm Golf Course Talk, Come join a tour and discussion about the original organic golf course in California!
o 10:00am—2:00pm Green Time in Wawona, Stop by this educational and fun booth to learn more about what DNC P&R @ Yosemite and NPS Resource Management are doing to take care of the south end of the Park.
Wednesday, April 22nd 2009 – Earth Day, 2008!
Yosemite Valley Activities
o 9:00– 11:00 am Stewardship Project, Join Yosemite Resources Management & Science Staff for an Earth Day work session. Help preserve and protect native habitat in Yosemite Valley by removing non-native Himalayan blackberry and other invasive plants. By removing the non-native plants you will help native plants and animals maintain their rightful place in Yosemite's ecosystem. Learn about the park’s restoration efforts and help keep Yosemite's ecosystem healthy and intact for the enjoyment of future generations! Meet at the Valley Visitor Center at 9:00am.
o 2:00 – 5:00pm Pedal, Play and Protect Bike Ride, Join Park staff for this fun and educational scavenger hunt by bike to Valley sites to learn about earth-friendly projects and initiatives in Yosemite. Cost is $5/person, which includes bike rental (participants may also use their own bike). Advance reservations required. Info/tickets at any tour desk.
o 7:00 – 9:00pm EarthDance Film Festival, Presented by the Oakland Museum of California and provided by the Yosemite Association, EarthDance is the largest collection of environmental shorts in the United States. Join us for films recounting personal stories that invite you to celebrate and explore your multifaceted relationship to the natural world. Donations will be accepted as admission; Visitor Center Theatre, Stop #9
Wawona Activities
o 8:30pm Every Day is Earth Day, Join Tom Bopp for a celebration of Earth Day while exploring the roles of John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt in Yosemite, Wawona Hotel Lounge.
