PHOTOS: Earth Day Festival in Severna Park

Mother Nature brought a beautiful day to complement the Ninth Annual Earth Day Festival on Saturday at .

Hundreds of folks from throughout the county came to learn about local green projects and to browse the more than 50 exhibits lining the outside of the school. The festival was hosted by the Severna Park Watershed Action Group.

Local schools and scouts brought their projects to share, composters and rain barrels were for sale and free tree seedlings were given away. There were tables of recycled craft activities for kids and paper shredding to benefit the There were also tips on saving energy and information on solar power available from local companies.

There were animals and reptiles too. New this year for spectators were a group of eco-goats grazing in a plot of grass. These goats can replace chemicals for getting rid of weeds. Rescued animals up for adoption were also welcomed part of the Earth Day experience. A reptile hands-on exhibit created quite a stir among the younger set.

Local watershed stewards were on hand to answer questions about keeping the rivers clean and native plants while the county gave away the large recycling bins.

Check Patch on Monday for more photos and details of the festival.