The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Long days at the office. Shrinking paychecks. Exhausted, overcommitted kids. These days, who isn’t stressed out and ready for a break?

Shift your life from overdrive into neutral, and come on out to Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo & Spring Fling, where we can help bring balance to your backyard — and your life.

Expo & Spring Fling is designed to help families learn how to nourish and protect the land on which they live through the use of hands-on clinics, live demonstrations and children’s activities. Essentially, we help families reconnect with nature — and each other.

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sat., March 23, 2013, at the Lone Star College-Montgomery Campus, 3200 College Park Dr. in Conroe. It’s free and open to the public.

“You’d really be amazed at what we’ve got planned for our families this year,” said John Warner, Texas A&M Forest Service urban district forester and expo founder. “We’ve got more than 40 exhibitors for the adults and roughly 40 hands-on learning stations for the kids. And it’s all set in the middle of this beautiful, forested campus. It’s just a fantastic way to spend a Saturday.”

Co-sponsored by Texas A&M Forest Service and Lone Star College-Montgomery, Expo & Spring Fling places an emphasis on education with a heavy dose of family fun.

For the adults, we’ll have experts on hand to teach clinics and answer questions about trees, plants, water, wildlife, forests, fish, ponds and green building.

For the kids, we’ve got the Family Adventure Zone, where they can climb a rock wall, paddle around in a kayak, practice their aim with a bow and arrow and even have their picture made with Smokey Bear.

The Montgomery County Arbor Day Ceremony will be held at the start of Expo & Spring Fling, serving to kick off the event. Free tree seedlings will be handed out throughout the day, while supplies last.

For more information or a detailed schedule of events, go to http://expo.tamu.edu.