Ava Hill is only 3 years old, but she’s already learning the principles of environmentalism and ways to take care of the planet.
“We’ve been teaching her about the Earth, climate change and global warming and ways we can cut back using plastic bags and learning how to recycle,” her mom, Misty, said.
The mother and daughter were among those who gathered Saturday for the city of Elgin’s 6th annual Earth Day Celebration at Hawthorne Hill Nature Center, where participants made crafts, planted seedlings and explored the center at 28 Brookside Drive.
Saturday’s snowfall caused the event to move indoors, although a few families ventured outside for a walk along the center’s looped trails and natural areas. Inside, local organizations provided information on topics like stormwater management, native plants, stream and water health, renewable energy and the correct way to recycle.
“This is a good experience to expose her to at a young age,” Misty Hill said of the Earth Day event. “Something I’ve explained is the changes we make now over the next 20 years will determine the future of our planet.”
It’s a lesson that parents need to share with Ava’s generation, Hill said. “We have to be aware,” she said. “I think it starts with us as parents. It’s our job to teach them now good habits.”
The family doesn’t use plastic bags or straws, which have been found to harm sea turtles. Ava has seen photos of how straws can get stuck in a turtle’s nose, Hall said.
“It makes her emotional. She doesn’t want to hurt animals. She’s aware our choices affect our ecosystem,” the Elgin mom said.
Mary Ellen Kessuvan, a junior at St. Edward High School, also sees the importance of teaching younger children and teens her own age about helping the environment. She is the newly appointed student representative on Elgin’s Sustainability Commission. Kessuvan manned the commission’s display Saturday, inviting people to come out to meetings and other events.
What she’s learned from her short time on the commission is sustainability can be complex, she said. “There are so many different parts. It’s not just about recycling. We deal with alternative energy, waste management, water, rain barrels, and we talk about the best ways to make Elgin sustainable,” she said.
Teens her age need to learn about what being sustainable means and what needs to be done to help the planet, Kessuvan said. “We are in a point in time where we can’t sit back and rely on the adults. We have to educate ourselves and effect change,” she said.
Hawthorne Hills Nature Center volunteer Sue Doy was on hand Saturday to help with crafts and showed off one of her own, a gallon-size plastic coffee container she painted and transformed into a flower planter. Volunteers try to teach children different ways to recycle while helping them use their imagination, she said.
The center is one of Elgin’s gems, Doy said. “People who’ve lived here a long time don’t know about it,” she said. The Earth Day Celebration helps introduce the center to more people, she said.
The center is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
