Shelli Ashbrook and her son Maxton, 5, make an owl out of repurposed toilet paper rolls during the Party for the Planet at the Caldwell Zoo on Saturday, April 18, 2015. (Cory McCoy/Staff)

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Interactive exhibits were spread across the Caldwell Zoo to help visitors celebrate Earth Day on Saturday during the zoo’s 9th Annual Party for the Planet, a nationwide initiative to host Earth Day events, involving more than 130 zoos and aquariums, according to a news release.

During the event, zoo staff and local groups set out to educate families about the ecosystem and how they can make a difference.

“It’s important for them to know that every little bit helps and everything they do matters,” zoo teacher Lauren Furch said. “From turning off the water when they brush their teeth to recycling aluminum cans.”

Earth Day events at Caldwell Zoo usually draw about 2,500 visitors, according to Furch.

Willow Lanchester set up a table for the East Texas Beekeepers Association in the shade behind the lion exhibit.

“Willow is our East Texas Beekeepers Association 2015 Honey Queen and she goes all over teaching about honey bees,” Lani Lanchester said. “Bees actually pollinate 1/3 of all food that we eat. They’re often at risk from pesticides.”

Willow spent the afternoon talking to families about the nature of beehives and behavior of honey bees, emphasizing that they do not pose as much of a threat as people might believe.

“Guess what? I picked honeybees and my pappy caught a honeybee for me,” Maxton Ashbrook, 5, said while making a paper owl out of a repurposed toilet paper roll.

Maxton’s mom Shelli said that he is working on a school project about bees. He was excited to see the lessons from his classroom in action.

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