Summit for Planet Earth is April 29
From barn owls and bearded dragons to California kingsnakes and turkey vultures, the 17th annual Summit for the Planet Earth at Mount Madonna School offers the opportunity to get up close and hands-on with wildlife. Children and adults alike can enjoy the many birds, reptiles and amphibians shared by the Bay Area Herpetological Society (BAHS) and Wildlife Education Rehabilitation Center (WERC), two participants in this community eco-festival.
Everyone is invited to the free Summit for the Planet on Saturday, April 29 from 9am-1pm at Mount Madonna School, 492 Summit Road. The public event begins with a 5K family hike through the redwoods, and features an eco-carnival, face painting, live wildlife and reptile area, a “trash fashion” show, model solar car races, activities, live music and food.
Hike registration begins at 9am; the hike starts at 10am, with the eco-carnival opening at 11am, followed by music, the Trash Fashion show and learning expo, says a press release from Mount Madonna School. The event concludes at 1pm.
With its unique spotlight on environmental education, the Summit for the Planet festival has grown to some 500 people of all ages, from south Santa Clara, San Benito, Santa Cruz and Monterey counties.
“Summit for the Planet is a celebration of Earth Day,” said Head of School Ann Goewert, “and honors our school’s rich tradition of teaching environmental stewardship and raising environmentally aware children.”
Local garbage collector among top truck drivers in the country
The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) awarded Recology South Valley refuse collector Salvador Plascencia “Honorable Mention” in the highly competitive Driver of the Year contest.
Plascencia was one of the 22 drivers recognized in the national competition. NWRA received more than 800 applications from refuse companies representing nearly 80,000 commercial and residential collection routes.
Plascencia has worked in the refuse industry for 23 years and drives a front-end loader and an 18-wheel transfer truck.
“Sal always has a smile on his face and is happy to be driving a truck,” Recology South Valley General Manager Mike Kelly said. “You can see it in the way Sal treats his customers as well as how he interacts with his co-workers.
“He understands that continually doing the little things—replacing a container back where it was when he arrived or making sure the gate is closed and locked on the enclosure—make a big difference for his customers.”
Plascencia’s commitment to going the extra mile is routinely on display annually at community events where Recology services bins, the company stated in a press release. When returning from disposal runs, Plascencia gets out of his vehicle to help event staff move waste into the proper containers.
Tim Davis, executive director of the South County Compassion Center, and several other area residents wrote letters of recommendation to the NWRA in support of Plascencia.
“Our container is always replaced by the enclosure with the doors secured after servicing. On many occasions, messes may be found in and around the bin or obstacles may be placed in front of the bin prior to Sal’s arrival,” Davis wrote. “Sal will get out of his truck and move these obstacles and clean up these messes to ensure our bins are serviced.”
The NWRA honors refuse-collection drivers from national and regional companies who exemplify outstanding customer service, road safety and job performance.
Enjoy an afternoon of T.E.A. April 10 in Morgan Hill
Parents and children age 3-10 are invited for an afternoon of T.E.A.—Technology, Engineering and Art—at the Morgan Hill Library from 1-3pm April 10. Engage in hands-on learning while having fun. The free event is hosted by Mount Madonna School.
Activities include:
– Bee-Bot Station: A “Happy Hive” of Activity. Preschool – Grade 2. Younger children are introduced to the basics of coding and robotics by using programmable robots and exploring their capabilities.
– Scribble Bot Station: Drawing Robot. Grades 3 – 7. Children will build their own drawing robot and get to take their artwork home.
– littleBits Station. Grades 3 – 7. Following a quick tutorial, children will have access to a littleBits station for a hands-on experience learning about circuit input, output and basic circuit creation.
For all ages: Observe a 3D printer in action and try out the Cricut!
The Morgan Hill Library is located at 660 West Main Ave.
