BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Hundreds of Lehigh Valley kids spent Saturday learning about kindness and the environment as part of PBS39’s Be My Neighbor Day at the Univest Public Media Center.

“This is just one of the many things that local public media does for the community and with the community,” said Lucia Gajda, PBS39’s director of events and engagement.

“This is the kind of interaction that can open up a kid’s world.”

The event offered crafts, music and gardening to teach children ages 2 to 5 about caring for others and being a good neighbor. It was put on with a $10,000 grant from Fred Rogers Productions and PNC Grow Up Great.

Other sponsors included Sustainable Energy Fund, Cherry Ridge Consulting LLC, Just Born Quality Confections and Crayola – together they donated $4,000. Other local organizations also provided in-kind donations.

PBS39, along with LehighValleyNews.com and 91.3 WLVR, is part of Lehigh Valley Public Media.

This was the fifth annual Be My Neighbor Day in the Lehigh Valley. Gajda said the event has grown since its first year in 2021, which was held virtually because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jenny Roberts

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LehighValleyNews.com

This was the first time Be My Neighbor Day was focused on the environment, Gajda added.

She hopes to continue this theme in the future to keep teaching children about caring for the planet.

“It’s going to be so relevant throughout their lives, and it’s right before Earth Month,” she said. “It’s a good lead-up.”

April is Earth Month, and April 22 is Earth Day.

Representatives from the City of Bethlehem were also at Saturday’s Be My Neighbor Day. They asked residents to complete a climate survey. They also spread the word about the city’s Climate Action Plan.

The plan aims to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions 60% by 2030 with the hopes of reaching net-zero by 2040.

Learning to care for the planet

Parents at Saturday’s event said it’s important for their children to learn about the environment and sustainability.

Stefanie Dutcher, of Sussex, New Jersey, came to Be My Neighbor Day with her 4-year-old son, Mason.

“He actually just recently is learning about the environment and throwing things out properly and not hurting our planet,” she said.

Mason enjoyed making a piggy bank out of a recycled soda can through one of the event’s activities, his mother said.

That craft was organized by Cynthia Rodriguez, an Allentown-based studio artist and art therapist. In her work, Rodriguez uses found objects in mixed media sculptures.

“A lot of people, they see junk, but you can really turn it into beautiful works of art,” Rodriguez said.

Other Be My Neighbor Day activities included taking photos with Daniel Tiger, a PBS Kids cartoon character, and planting sunflower seeds.

Jenny Roberts

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LehighValleyNews.com

Ecological gardeners

Genesis Frias, of Easton, came to Be My Neighbor Day with her partner and 6-year-old son Eli, who gardens at home. He planted sunflower seeds and created seed packets to share with others.

“I’m glad that they have the seedlings and he’s actually able to see them,” she said. “I’m like, ‘This is what we put in the dirt. We don’t get to see that part.’”

Lehigh County Master Gardener Consuelo Almodovar, a volunteer with Penn State Extension, helped teach Eli and other youth how to plant the sunflowers.

Through her volunteer work, Almodovar, of Allentown, said she regularly speaks with children about the life cycle of a seed, recycling and water conservation. She also stresses the importance of being an ecological gardener.

“We can’t emphasize enough how much we really need to do better with the way we garden,” she said. “Native plants are very important because they’re supporting all our native bees, our butterflies.”

Almodovar said some of the children at Be My Neighbor Day recognized her organization’s work from other events in the community and at their schools.

“I think we are reaching kids, and they seem to know about pollination and all that, they know the importance of bees,” she said. “It’s pretty cool to see that.”

For those interested in learning more about pollination, there’s a celebration June 7 at Burnside Plantation in Bethlehem, Consuelo said.

Penn State Extension master gardeners will be on site, Consuelo said. There will be environmentally focused activities for adults and children.

EDITOR’S NOTE: LehighValleyNews.com is part of Lehigh Valley Public Media, along with PBS39 and 91.3 WLVR radio.