An Earth Day Festival at McKinney Roughs Nature Park will be celebrated with fun for the whole family Saturday, April 19, at the park along the Colorado River between Austin and Bastrop.

Activities for the free festival will include guided hikes through the wildflowers, small pocket prairies and pine forest. Participants also can take part in nature crafts, conservation activity booths and demonstrations. They can listen to speakers on varied topics and watch native animal presentations while enjoying food, music and more. Events will take place from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The 1,100-acre nature park is 13 miles east of Austin’s airport

The McKinney Roughs Earth Day Festival is part of Austin Nature Days, aimed at celebrating Austin’s beauty, vitality and diversity of natural resources. The Austinwide event is a collaborative effort of more than 20 organizations to offer opportunities for individuals and families to experience and enjoy Austin’s open spaces and natural places.

During April McKinney Roughs will host a variety of events that give participants a chance to get in touch with nature. They are:

• Acorn Eaters - Nature Club for Kids — Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fee is $15 per person. This nature club helps children connect to the natural world and learn about native people through wilderness adventures, games and exploration. Kids will experience the outdoors and discover outdoor skills while learning to work collaboratively with other children. Pre-registration is required.
• Stargazing at the Roughs  — Friday, April 18, 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Free. Join night sky revelers for a chance to marvel at the beauty of the planets and be awed by Earth’s place in the galaxy. The wonders of the universe will come to life when viewed through a telescope. Registration is not required.
• Light of the Moon Raft Trip — Saturday, April 19, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. $50 per person. Begin the raft trip with a sunset on the Colorado River, watch night fall and relax in the cool night air. Enjoy the evening as your raft is guided down a moonlit stretch of tranquil river. Participants must be able to swim. Pre-registration is required.

To register for any of these programs, contact McKinney Roughs Nature Park at (512) 303-5073. Registration is not required for the Earth Day Festival.

National Earth Day is April 22. The global observance marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. The special day is intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth environment and foster ways to combat pollution and other environmental problems.