The beautiful sunny Saturday on the historic Murfreesboro square was the perfect setting for the 18th Annual Earth Day. This year's theme was "S.O.S.--SAVE OUR SPECIES: PROTECT, DON'T NEGLECT TN WILDLIFE".

Murfreesboro Electric's Director of Marketing Amy Byers again organized the event, and said, "The 2019 Earth Day Celebration focused on protecting the endangered species of Tennessee, such as the Nashville Crayfish, the Leafy Prairie-Clover and the Gray Bat."

She continued, "Tennessee is one of the most biodiverse states in the country, with hundreds of distinct species of fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds. But as of July 2016, 75 of those native species were listed as endangered and another 18 considered threatened."

Murfreesboro Electric gave away 500 Sargent crabapple seedlings at their booth.

The local utility provider founded the Earth Day Celebration in 2001 to promote TVA's Green Power Switch Program, which gives customers the opportunity to buy a $4 block of green power generated by wind, solar or methane gas. For more information, check this website: www.greenpowerswitch.com.

Byers noted, "It's important to remember that we are part of an ecosystem where we rely on other plants and animals to play roles that are crucial to our own survival. Earth Day is a great time for people to learn how we can create a better balance within our ecosystem while still having fun with their friends and neighbors."

She concluded, "With new statistics showing that 27 new persons move into Rutherford County each day, events like this bring the state's fastest growing area together to learn about our history and create a stronger future."

The 10:00AM to 2:00PM event was completely free and a zero-waste celebration, thanks to sponsors like Rutherford County, City of Murfreesboro, General Mills, Kroger, Lewis Family Bakery, MaxShred, and Clark Iron and Metal. Republic Services sponsored the Kid's Zone area that included an inflatable bounce house and an obstacle course. There were also booths from Stones River National Battlefield; Blackman High School Agricultural Department, offering plants and farm-fresh eggs for sale; Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center, promoting awareness about endangered species with a hands-on activity and live animals; and many more.

This past Saturday's celebration included a solid line-up of entertainment including Hardin Draw, MTSU Jazz Trio, Creative Rhythm Percussion Team and the Northfield Drumming Ensemble. Enjoy refreshments, fun children's activities and live entertainment while learning about the environment.

Murfreesboro Electric Department, established in 1939, brings reliable, affordable energy to more than 60,000 customers in the city of Murfreesboro. Murfreesboro Electric has repeatedly been designated as a Reliable Public Power Provider by the American Public Power Association, which places it among the best public utilities in the nation.

Thank you MED for another great Earth Day celebration!