It's Earth Day 2021! The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970, when 20 million Americans gathered in public parks, streets, and college campuses to bring awareness to environmental destruction.
Philadelphia neighborhoods will be busy today and this weekend, and if you want to get involved, and get the kids involved in the green movement that started half a century ago...here are some events you may like.
Today: Earth Day In The Food Forest is at Wissahickon Environmental Center from 1 to 3pm at 300 West Northwestern Ave. in Philadelphia. Spend Earth Day clearing as many invasive plants as possible on the site of its Philadelphia Orchard Project Food Forest. Mulch and water, too.
The Fishtown Neighbors Association is hosting Cleanup, Kindness and Seed Hunting from 9 til noon this Saturday April 24th, at the Fishtown Rec Center, 1202 E. Montgomery Ave., Philadelphia. It's a neighborhood cleanup with mindfulness sessions, and a scavenger hunt. Registration is required. The group will also be creating “kindness rocks” to leave in some neighborhood spaces, and you can decorate them with kind words and designs.
Earth Day Fest On The Schuylkill is this Saturday, April 24th at Schuylkill Center For Environmental Education on 8480 Hagys Mill Road in Roxborough. It's their 10th annual Earth Day festival, Naturepalooza, adjusted for covid times. You can hike along the Schuylkill trails, and become a “Planet Protector.” Learn about native plants, make bird feeders and other wildlife-friendly crafts, and explore ponds. You must register to participate.
Grow Clean Water At the Viaduct at the The Rodale Institute on 500 North 10th Street in Philadelphia this Saturday, April 24th from 10 to 3:30. The Rodale Institute’s Earth Day program will focus on connecting people with the food they eat. Learn about growing, preparing healthy recipes, planting, and play with a worm or two. The kids will love that!
If you can't make these events, you can do you part to love the planet. Avoid plastics, clean up and volunteer in your community (even just cleaning up around your house helps), plant a tree, eat local, recycle, take shorter showers, use less paper...consider cloth napkins at home....it's more elegant, anyway!
Let's all do our part to save our planet Earth. Happy Earth Day!