Glen Helen Earth Day Celebration

Saturday, April 21 through Sunday, April 22

Come out to Glen Helen in Yellow Springs for an entertaining, family-friendly Earth Day weekend celebration Saturday, April 21 through Sunday, April 22. Two full days of activities make this year the largest Earth Day celebration ever planned at Glen Helen.

The headline program for Saturday, April 21 is the second annual Glen Helen Earth Day 5k Run/Walk fundraiser, featuring a free Kids Fun Run, educational Green Fair with local farms, environmental organizations, and interactive Earth Day programs led by Glen Helen naturalists.

Parking is available at the Yellow Springs High School on E. Enon Road. A shuttle bus will operate between the parking area and the activity site from 7am to 2pm. The 5k begins at 11am prompt, with professional clocks run by Key Sports. Chili, cookies, and an award ceremony await 5k participants at the finish line. Advance registrants are guaranteed a race t-shirt. Registration and mandatory waiver at www.glenhelen.org.

The main event on Sunday, April 22 is the Glen Helen Raptor Center program—come see Ohio’s native birds of prey up close as staff bring them out of their cages for a special program and facility tour. Participants can park at the main Glen Helen parking lot at 405 Corry Street and enjoy a 20-minute hike through the woods along the Inman Trail, walking past famous landmarks like the Yellow Spring and the Cascades. Or park along the gravel lane at the program site, 1075 St. Rt. 343 in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Glen Helen is a 1000-acre nature preserve in Yellow Springs owned by Antioch College and managed by the Glen Helen Ecology Institute, whose mission is to protect the Glen for present and future generations by engaging in land stewardship, education, community outreach, service and research.

April 21-22: Earth Day Weekend at Glen Helen
We’ve brought the best programming we know how to bring you, and bundled it all together for a memorable two-day slate of Earth Day programming. Some Saturday Earth Day programs require pre-registration and will include a shuttle service. All programs held rain or shine, though severe weather will postpone the 5k for 2 hours before it is cancelled. Download an activity map and watch for the latest information at www.glenhelen.org.

April 21: Earth Day Green Fair
Join our Earth Day sponsors and Glen Helen Naturalists around the grounds of the Outdoor Education Center for a variety of hands-on programs and demonstrations. Touch fossils, plant a seed, glimpse a raptor, or learn a yoga pose. Programs are free, and all ages are welcome. Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center, 9am-1pm.

April 21: Kids Fun Run
Calling all eco kids ages 3-7 for a short fun run! Make it to the finish line of our quarter-mile trail loop and receive a native sapling to plant at home. Warm-up stretch by the Yellow Springs Youth Yoga Project from 9:30 to 10:00, fun run begins at 10:00 sharp. Pre-registration and release required at www.glenhelen.org, donations accepted online. Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center, 10am.

April 21: Earth Day 5k
Run or walk for the Glen in our second annual 5k on a gps-measured course through our fields, trails, and fire road. Professional clocks, award ceremony, and chili and cookies at the finish line. Pre-race stretch led by Yoga Springs Studio begins at 10:30, the race gun fires at 11am prompt. Pre-registration and release required at www.glenhelen.org. Advance registrants receive a collectible t-shirt; packet pick-up and parking details online. Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center, 10:30am.

April 21: Earth Day South Glen Restoration Project
Supported by the Nature Conservancy, volunteers and interns work to restore the riparian area of the Little Miami River back to its native roots. Join us in boots, with work gloves and a water bottle. Tools and training provided. Please rsvp to bbryan@glenhelen.org for details and parking info. 12noon-2pm.

April 22: Raptor Center Earth Day Program
Tour our rehabilitation center and meet our staff, while enjoying a special program with our resident raptors. There is the possibility of a hawk release. Parking is limited; you may want to park at the main Glen Helen lot on Corry Street and walk over along the Inman Trail. Raptor Center, 2pm.

April 22: Wildflower ID Hike
What’s blooming on Earth Day in Glen Helen? Join Daniel Pearson and his band of wildflower spotters to find out—tracking the buds and blooms that constitute Glen Helen’s incredible biodiversity. Moderate intensity, departs from Trailside Museum, 1-3pm.