Earth Day events promote green living

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with hands-on projects restoring local parks, recycling and learning about living green at events throughout the region this weekend.

Thursday's King County Earth Day Expo will provide help with reducing your carbon footprint by offering discounts and incentives on green products, kids' activities and information on habitat-restoration projects looking for volunteers.

Tour King County's South Treatment plant Saturday to see how waste water is treated, recycled, and returned to the environment, including the demonstration garden and greenhouse started last year using clean, recycled water and compost from the plant. Donations of 2", 4" and 6" pots and seed starting trays are being collected at the event if you have any to recycle.

Seward Park Environmental and Audubon Center celebrates Earth Day, the center's anniversary and Lumpy the resident African Sulcata tortoise's birthday Saturday with activities, free cupcakes and nature walks for all ages, including excursions to the eagles nest to watch the adult and baby eagles through the scope.

Along with two eagle aeries, the park's 277 acres of old-growth forest, lakeshore and grasslands provide habitat for dozens of species of birds and other wildlife and the Audubon Center, a refurbished, historic 1927 building offering nature programs, labs, nature books and more, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays.

Computers and TVs become obsolete every few years and can be hard to dispose of properly. Several Earth Day events offer free recycling, including InterConnection, a local company that refurbishes computers and sells them at low cost to schools and to underserved people locally and around the world.

For more Earth Day events including hands-on opportunities to clean, restore and improve local parks and other habitats, see "Earth Day" in Datebook.

The details

King County Earth Day Expo: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Westlake Plaza, Fourth Avenue and Pine Street, Seattle, www.kingcounty.gov/environment/stewardship/nw-yard-and-garden/spring-into-action.aspx.

Earth Day Community Tour: 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, King County South Treatment Plant, 1200 Monster Road S.W., Renton. The plant is an industrial facility, sturdy closed-toed shoes required, children accompanied by adult welcome; free, preregistration requested, 206-263-6028 or www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Education/PlantTours.aspx.

Earth Day Super Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday; guided walks to the eagles nest at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.; Seward Park Environmental & Audubon Center, 5902 Lake Washington Blvd. S, Seattle; free, 206-652-2444 or sewardpark.audubon.org.

Earth Day E-Cycle Event: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, InterConnection, 1608 N. Northlake Way, Seattle; free (206-633-1517or www.interconnection.org).

Earth Day Electronics Recycling: free recycling of old TVs, computers, monitors, laptops and cellphones, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Metropolitan Market, 5250 40th N.E., Seattle, 425-239-4118 or www.e-wastes.com.

Earth Day Computer Recycling Event: free computer and electronic recycling, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, SuperMall, behind Red Robin, Supermall Way, Auburn, 253-539-9095 or www.sbkrecycle.com.

Madeline McKenzie: 206-464-8245 or mmckenzie@seattletimes.com