The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is hosting its annual Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 300 people through the gate will receive a free gift to celebrate a milestone at this year’s festival. The event will include a groundbreaking ceremony for the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience at 11 a.m., marking a new chapter in how the community will experience, understand and protect the systems that sustain Southwest Florida’s way of life. The groundbreaking is part of the Conservancy’s Earth Day Festival programming, which features free, family-friendly activities including face painting, arts and crafts, games, Glen Beitman’s Super Science Show, boat rides, animal encounters, vendors, food trucks, a live performance by Moonstone Riders, and special presentations. The full schedule of events is available online at Conservancy.org/EarthDay.