The 2nd Annual Ramona Earth Day Festival was the perfect place to celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd.
A steady stream of visitors spent the afternoon browsing the booths of various sustainability-focused vendors while listening to live music. Participated in a costume parade and craft activities using recycled materials.
For Ramona resident Verna Silvia, it was her first time visiting Ramona’s Earth Day Festival. Sylvia described it as an informative event to see the progress of the partially completed Coast-to-Crest Trail from Dell Her Mar to Volcan Mountain.
“I’m excited to get another section of the trail,” said Sylvia, an avid hiker who has led groups of people on hikes. “It’s reassuring to know there’s another section to hike,” she says.
Silvia also learned of a proposal to create a microgrid in Ramona as an alternative to SDG&E’s larger grid in the county. She said she was interested in the topic because she is considering installing solar panels on her roof.
Some vendors handed out seeds, and Silvia collected native plant seeds and WaterSmart Landscape brochures from the San Diego River Valley Conservancy booth. She also received a free low-flow outdoor water nozzle from the Ramona Municipal Water District.
“It’s great to see so many people I know here,” Sylvia said. “Today I learned a lot of things that I value.”
Ramona resident Robin Lee visited the Ramona Earth Day Festival for the second time this year. Lee liked the educational feature of the event and said it was a suitable venue for all ages.
The Solana Environmental Innovation Center booth was of particular interest to Lee because she said it shared information on soil composting, water use, and fire resistance. Last year, Lee said she attended a composting workshop that the Solana Center held on Zoom, where she learned about different composting methods.
“I like to come in for live music and see what the vendors do,” Lee said of the Earth Day festival. , I also like to see people bring their kids to get information.The kids really enjoy it.”
Donna Burns, a Ramona resident, participated in the festival as the leader of a children’s treasure hunt. Burns gave her children a booklet that guides them in interacting with vendors focused on the sustainable ‘R’ of recycling, reusing, reducing and reusing. According to Burns, her attendees were given stickers and a bag of her recycled crayons, a coupon for a cedar pencil, a seed ball, and a slice of her pizza.
Away from a few booths, Ramona resident Marsha Cook showed children how to make animal crafts using recycled cardboard and paper. On May 13th, Cook will be helping kids and families make piñatas at her free Second Saturday Family Art Series at Art Center Ramona. Students can “twist” the cardboard into a piñata of their choice, apply glue and tissue her paper, and experience a moment of Zen, she said.
Another Ramona resident, Cindy Dodson, guided children and adults to the Ramona Community Garden during the “March of Vegetables” parade. Dodson was dressed as a butterfly, followed by marchers dressed in vegetable costumes such as turnips, tomatoes, and corn.
One of the featured attractions was the Sustainability Booth where guests could purchase products and get information.
The San Diego Naturalist Society has joined to share information about the iNaturalist app.
The association’s president, Bryce Wilson, said the app helps identify tracks of plants, birds and animals while hiking. App users can take pictures that scientists can use to collect data about nature.
“The app shows the date, time and location the photo was taken,” Wilson said, noting National Geographic’s investments in nonprofits. “It helps people relate to the environment.”
Becky Harvey, who has lived in Ramona for over 40 years, displayed a bee hive in her booth. She was there to share information about her Bemergency bee extermination service, which she runs with her husband Rex Harvey.
Becky Harvey and Rex wanted to be beekeepers several years ago. Quoting Einstein, she said that if honeybees disappeared from the earth for a few years, the human race would also disappear.
One of Harveys’ main activities is to exterminate bees from backcountry lands. Becky Harvey says she also makes sustainable products like soaps, beeswax candles, and honey with almond oil, apricot oil, and lavender oil.
“This hive arrived from Borrego Springs last week,” she said, pointing to a display case of active bees. “We grow them in boxes.
Becky suggests helping the environment by growing plants that attract bees. These include lavender, wild sage, fruit trees, and herbs such as basil and oregano.
Vendors selling products included Jennifer DeSimone and Laura Myers of Simply Divine, a volunteer group at St. Mary’s in the Valley Episcopal Church in Ramona. Simply Divine volunteers manufacture and sell soaps, lotions, jewelry and textiles to raise funds for church outreach programs.
DeSimone said he donated to a shoe and socks collection for school-age children, the In His Steps recovery program, and other local, national and international organizations.
“We are a church, but we are looking to branch out and become part of the community,” Myers says of why he attends the Earth Day Festival. “I want to contribute to the prosperity of the region.”
Julien’s Beryl Warnes set up a weaving station at the festival, demonstrating how to weave scarves, shawls, placemats, table runners, dishcloths and rugs. A 48-year-old weaver, Julien of Santa Her Isabelle Her Weaving Her Weaving says there is.
“I also incorporate man-made fibers, but I try to use mostly natural or recycled materials,” said Warnes, who teaches weaving through the Handweaving Academy. My aunt taught me to knit, and since then I’ve been into textiles.”
Performers throughout the event include The Garden Variety Band, The Beard & The Bird, Frank & Rob, Bobo Charofsky & Drew Caddy, Sentimental Journeys, The Shirthouse Bluegrass Band and The Waits.