Earth Day in Plainfield, 2018

Holly Hoffman explaining the flora and fauna that can be found at Leland Park.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Earth Day event at Leland Park, sponsored by The Animal Initiative Committee. I especially enjoyed the nature walk and talk at Leland Park, led by Plainfielder Holly Hoffman. Holly, formerly of the Trailside Nature Center up in Watchung, noted some of the flora and fauna that reside in the park, providing great education details to those of us in attendance. After her talk, I was inspired to retrieve from my bookshelves my old Collins Bird Guide, as well as my Audubon Field Guides, to use in my summer meanderings. I was happy to see our snowy egret (bottom left) luxuriating in the pond. In addition to the nature talk, Plainfielder Ellie Campolei led a ceremony to honor nature and wildlife, specifically the deer, with a Native American prayer. Literature about the organization and conservancy was also available, as well as baked goods donated by Jeff Spelman's The Coffee Box (located at 1359 South Avenue), and tasty vegan snacks. The next time you're at Leland Park, perhaps you will see the great blue heron that sometimes alights in the pond.