Earth Day comes around every year on April 22 and gives us a chance to celebrate our planet and take action to protect it. There are many things you can do to honor Earth Day this spring: attend an Earth Day event, plant a garden, clean up your neighborhood and more!
Not sure how to celebrate? Check out these exciting Earth Day celebrations hosted by local community groups.
Earth Day clean-up
Urban Strategies is hosting an Earth Day clean-up, book scavenger hunt and low-waste picnic on Saturday, April 23. In partnership with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board and Hennepin County Libraries, the event will kick off at 9:30 am at Sumner Library in Heritage Park with the clean-up. There will be gloves and bags available, and a site coordinator will instruct you where to go and where to leave trash.
While you pick up trash around Heritage Park, youth can search for clues in a book scavenger hunt! A low-waste picnic will follow the clean-up and book scavenger hunt in Sumner Field at 11:30 am.
Activities for families and youth will be held in Sumner Field from 12:30 to 2 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Contact Elana Dahlberg for more information at Elana.Dahlberg@UrbanStrategiesInc.org or 612-767-1055.
Minneapolis Parks and Recreation
If you can’t make it to Heritage Park, the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board has clean-up events at other park locations throughout the City of Minneapolis on Saturday, April 23 from 9:30 am to noon. All the clean-ups are free and open to the public.
Find a location near you at www.minneapolisparks.org/activities__events/events/earth_day_cleanup
Black Storytellers Alliance
Black Storytellers Alliance is hosting another great Earth Day celebration the morning of Saturday, April 23 at the Karamu community gardens in North Minneapolis. The event includes storytelling and activities for youth, such as painting sticks and rocks.
Nothando Zulu, director of Black Storytellers Alliance, says she hopes the event will draw in elementary-age children and families, and she plans to “discuss the importance of the earth with the youth.” Black Storytellers Alliance is preparing for the upcoming growing season and is using their Hennepin County Green Partners grant to train youth ambassadors in gardening and composting at the Karamu Gardens. For more information about the Earth Day celebration at Karamu Gardens, contact Nothando Zulu at nzulu@blackstorytellers.com or 612-529-5864.
Resources
Planning your own Earth Day event this year? Get resources including portable recycling containers, an event recycling and waste reduction guide, green event signage and more at www.hennepin.us/eventrecycling.
This information was provided by Hennepin County Environment and Energy, Environmental Education & Outreach.
Reach the MSR staff at msrnewsonline@spokesman-recorder.com.