Harford County celebrate its natural resources with EcoFest

Tony Roberts, The Aegis, Bel Air, Md.
·2 min read

Jun. 23—Highland Presbyterian Church is partnering with the Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake to host the second-annual EcoFest, a festival celebrating creation in Harford County, on Sunday from 2-4 p.m.

"We are celebrating Harford County's beautiful landscape from the farm to the water shed," said Rev. Chasity Wiener, an EcoFest organizer. "We are really focusing on environmental impact and environmental education."

This event allows the local community to care for shared resources and network with local nature camps and environmental groups for future ministry planning. People will also learn how to secure grant funding for environmental projects.

"The event is very important to the community as it partners with local Harford County agencies, faith communities and environmental groups," Wiener said.

EcoFest will feature:

— Free native seeds giveaway

— A native garden tour

— Build-your-own bird feeder

— A guided bird watch

— Nature scavenger hunt

— Feather Forensics

— Face painting

— Coloring activities

— Visits with some critter friends

— Cornhole, bingo and other games

— Beekeeping demonstrations.

The festival will also have vendors from organizations that are doing environmental work throughout Harford County, including Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, Harford County Climate Action, Interfaith Power and Light, Susquehanna Beekeepers and more.

The festival will be held at the Highland Presbyterian Church, one of Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake's newest partner congregations.

"We are hosting Harford EcoFest in collaboration with our partner congregation Highland Presbyterian Church in Street to highlight the work their congregation is doing," said Katie Ruth, an event coordinator from Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake.

Highland Presbyterian Church, founded in 1890, is located at 701 Highland Road in Street.

Along with Highland Presbyterian Church, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake is working with many environmental and community partners including Chesapeake Bay Trust, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay as well as other local congregations and partners.

Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake, founded in 2011, works to engage congregations in being good caretakers of the shared watershed. The organization works with hundreds of congregations in Maryland and are expanding into Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.