Rangers at area parks celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday and the importance of environmental conservation during an event held at High Bridge Trail State Park Saturday.

High Bridge Park Ranger Hallie Robinson and Twin Lakes State Park Ranger Breanna Doll set up activities that included making Truffula Tree pencils and distributing stickers with the messages “Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth,” and “Reduce! Reuse! Recycle!”

One experiment included putting soil into three separate, empty soda bottles. One bottle had soil with deep roots from grasses, one bottle had some roots, and the last bottle did not have roots.

Robinson and Doll said they filled the soda bottles with soil with water, then pour the water out of the soda bottles into three cups.

The bottle with the most roots had the cleanest water, while the bottle with no roots had the most sediment. Doll and Robinson said the experiment gives participants a visual aid of the negative impact that deforestation can have on surrounding bodies of water and the wildlife in those areas.

“Bad sediment mucks up fish gills, and makes it rough for aquatic life,” Robinson said.

“When you really see it, it has so much more of an impact,” Doll said about the experiment.

Megan Almond, children’s programmer at Barbara Rose Johns Farmville-Prince Edward Public Library, brought “The Lorax” to read to participants. She also brought a box of other books related to the environment that people could read.

“I like that there are hands-on activities to go along with it,” Almond said. “I feel like it makes it very real for the kids.”

Antoinette Chaffin, a guidance counselor at Prince Edward County Elementary School, stopped by the event with her husband, Eddie.

Chaffin said the event was important because it related with other Dr. Seuss’ celebrations that have taken place in the Heart of Virginia.

“I think it’s great,” Chaffin said, “because it would piggy back off of what a lot of teachers did yesterday at (Hampden-Sydney College) HSC during the Birthday Bash Thursday.”