OCEAN PINES – A large environmental festival will return to Ocean Pines this weekend with hands-on activities, educational exhibits and more.
On Sunday, Sept. 8, the second annual Bay Day at Ocean Pines will return to White Horse Park.
Maryland Coastal Bays Program (MCBP) has partnered with the Ocean Pines Association to educate homeowners on how to improve backyard habitats.
Liz Wist, education coordinator with MCBP, said the day will focus on hands-on activities and educational exhibits that teach watershed residents how they can make a positive impact on the coastal bays.
“It’s about taking simple steps to creating a bay-friendly backyard,” she said. “Homeowners, by doing that, reduce time and effort in maintaining their yards while at the same time helping to improve the health of the coastal bays. That’s our underlying theme of this whole day.”
Wist said Bay Day at Ocean Pines will feature roughly 35 environmental vendors, food and music, kayaking and free bay boat tours, live animals, native plant giveaways, interactive art using recycled materials and more.
“The idea is there is something for everyone,” she said.
Wist noted that this year’s event will also include a new make-and-take workshop pavilion. There, participants can make bee homes out of cans and bamboo, construct seed bombs and fish prints, and build bat boxes and bird houses that will be raffled off at the end of the day.
“Those that assist in building them have an opportunity to take them home,” she said.
Wist said the festival will be spread out across the entire park. She added that those who attended last year’s event will find new vendors and activities.
“We learn and grow with every event …,” she said. “Probably a third of our vendors are new. So there will be something new for a lot of people to see.”
Wist said the event was originally scheduled for May 5, but poor weather conditions forced organizers to postpone the event to September. She noted, however, that they hope to utilize the entire outdoor area on Sunday.
“Even if there is a little bit of drizzle, or if it is overcast, we’re running with the event outside,” she said. “The idea is to have an outdoor event because we are promoting the health of our watershed, specifically the St. Martin River on which Ocean Pines is located.”
Wist noted the St. Martin River is classified as the unhealthiest waterway in the coastal bays system.
“By targeting an area that has such a high population, we think this event will draw a lot of people and have very positive effects of being more conscious of individual actions. When a community comes together, things take root in order to improve our environment.”
Bay Day at Ocean Pines will take place Sunday, Sept. 8, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at White Horse Park, located at 235 Ocean Parkway in Ocean Pines.
For more information, visit the “Bay Day at Ocean Pines” Facebook event page or contact Liz Wist at 410-213-2297 ext. 110 or [email protected].
“Hopefully individuals will walk away with more knowledge,” she said.
