In between the coloring books and notepads, face painting and spin art, Avery Britten got the message loud and clear at Saturday’s Shoals Earth Day Fest.

“We keep the Earth clean,” said the 5-year-old from Florence.

It’s the fourth year for the annual celebration at the Florence-Lauderdale Coliseum. Event coordinator Nancy Muse said the message to conserve natural resources and recycle never gets old.

“Without awareness of the issues, we have no hope of improving our lives and having a positive impact on the planet,” she said.

“Awareness has to be the first step.”

Avery’s mom, Christi Britten, said environmental and ecological issues are part of how she’s raising her two daughters.

“I keep this quote in mind: ‘Our Earth was not given to use by our parents but loaned to us by our children,’ ” she said. “I read that somewhere, and I really connected with it, and it’s how we live our lives.”

Britten said she teaches her daughters to recycle, and they’ve started a compost heap.

Recycling has been available in the Shoals for almost 30 years, Muse said, and it has grown to include a curbside program, electronics recycling and a program for recycling oil and biodiesel.

“But there’s always more we can do,” she said. “Awareness of these issues is always works in progress.”

In addition to booths from the city’s recycling program and solid waste department, there were booths from the Tennessee Valley Authority, Keep the Shoals Beautiful, Save Cypress Creek, the Shoals Environmental Alliance and the Florence Tree Commission.

The event also included entertainment from Steve Trash, an environmental magician, as well as local musicians Dillon Hodges and David Walton.

Damien Simbeck, a representative from the TVA watershed program, said events such as the Earth Day Fest bring awareness to an overarching message of environmental stewardship.

“Our job may be to protect the water, but it’s not just for us today,” he said. “We want to be have it here 10, 20 years from now for people to enjoy.”

To get there, other hurdles have to be overcome, according to Judy Keenum, coordinator of Keep the Shoals Beautiful.

“Although we’ve gotten better about it, litter is still a problem,” she said. Picking it up is “not only costly because we pay people to do that but it’s also a detriment to the business community, tourism and quality of life for residents.”

As the environmental message evolves, so too will the annual Earth Day event, Muse said.

“We’re constantly comparing our event to other successful events, such as the one in Nashville, to see what’s working,” she said. “We always want to keep the message fresh.”

Michelle Rupe Eubanks can be reached at 256-740-5745 or michelle.eubanks@TimesDaily.com.