2022 commemorates the 22nd anniversary of the City of Lawrence Earth Day Celebration. On this Earth Day we are celebrating our City’s five sustainability principles.
FEATURED EARTH DAY EVENTS
Cans for the Community
April 2022
Cans for the Community celebrates Earth Day the entire month of April. Our goal is to recycle 5,000 pounds of aluminum cans & to donate all proceeds to the USD497 middle/high schools. People can help us by dropping off their aluminum cans at one of our “can houses”. Locations are listed on our website. If everyone in Lawrence would recycle one pound of cans in April, we would easily exceed our goal (167,000 cans)! To learn more about Cans for the Community click on this link.
KC’s 2022 Earth Festival, Online and In-Person
Saturday, April 23, 2022
All events are free to the public. Visit https://climategkc.org/ef22/ for details and registration. Hosted by Climate Council of Greater Kansas City
Friends of Hidden Valley
Saturday, April 23, 2022
We are having our annual Hidden Valley Work Day 1-4pm on April 17/rain day April 18 and welcome anyone interested in helping do trail work, clear invasive plants, work on flower beds, plant trees and have a great, COVID-safe time! You must observe COVID safe practices, sign a waiver and sign up for a time, all available here:https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d49a4a92aabfcce9-fhvapr1
Celebrate Earth Month by giving back to the Kansas River! — 8th Annual Kansas River Cleanup in Lawrence
Saturday, April 23, 2022
9:00 am – 1:00 pm
North 2nd St. and Locust Ave.
Info and RSVP link – https://forms.gle/14eSsM2Lu4C3MCZL6
Celebrate Earth Month by giving back to the Kansas River! Join Friends of the Kaw and our partners – the City of Lawrence, the Lawrence Community Shelter, The Merc Coop, and The Nature Conservancy – to clean up the riverbank below Bowersock dam in Lawrence! We’ll meet in the city parking lot at N. 2nd St. and Locust St. where we’ll divide into teams then clean the north and south banks. Wear sturdy shoes that can get dirty and bring gloves and water to drink. Extra water will be available as well as snacks provided by The Merc! RSVP is requested. Contact Kim Bellemere at kim.bellemere@gmail.com with questions.
Earth Day Wildflower Planting Event
Saturday, April 23, 2022
1:00pm-4:00pm
www.grasslandheritage.org/blackjack
Join Grassland Heritage Foundation, Native Lands LLC, Jayhawk Audubon Society and Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park for an afternoon of planting, planting, and more planting on Saturday, April 23rd from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. There are lots of plants that need to get into the ground this spring as the prairie restoration wraps up. This a great opportunity to enjoy the spring weather, get your hands in the soil, and help add diversity to our prairie planting at Black Jack. Great for all ages and abilities! Sign up to volunteer at https://www.grasslandheritage.org/blackjack.
Celebrate Earth Day with PPNC’s Plant and Seed Exchange
Saturday, April 23, 2022
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Prairie Park Nature Center is holding a free Earth Day program allowing participants to trade their extra plants and seeds with others. Earth Day Plant and Seed Exchange is being held 1:00 to 3:00 pm Saturday, April 23rd, at Prairie Park Nature Center, 2730 Harper St. The program is open to those 18 years-old and older and is perfect for those with plants they must prune or cull, those with extra seeds they wish to donate or those who would like to take home some new plants and start a new garden. The exchange is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required. For more information, please contact Prairie Park Nature Center at (785) 832-7980.
Sustainability Science Fair
Saturday, April 23, 2022
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
The Sustainability Science Fair on Saturday, April 23rd from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at South Park will have a range of booths on solar energy, geothermal, electric vehicles, building insulation, air quality, recycling, green builders, sustainable gardening, and more. The fair will take place on the east side of South Park near the gazebo. To participate, or for more info, contact rapowerkansas@gmail.com.
Monarch Watch
Saturday, May 7, 2022
8:00 am to 2:00 pm
https://monarchwatch.org/openhouse/
Monarch Watch’s annual Spring plant sale and fundraiser! We will have dozens of plants available to satisfy your butterfly gardening needs, including several types of milkweed for monarchs. Check our Open House website for updates, or sign up for updates at https://monarchwatch.org/subscribe
Celebrate Self-Care!
This class leans towards a gentle beginners style with some options to go deeper into certain poses. We take it slow and give attention to breath-work as we move. Set up a yoga mat if you have one (a thick towel for padding if not) and additionally please have handy two thick blankets or towels.
Sally Birmingham is a Lawrence area yoga instructor with 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher Certification and 15hr Trauma Informed Yoga Certification. Other interests of Sally’s include art, sustainable farming, herbal medicine, and organizing with Girls Rock Lawrence.
You can find Sally’s and other classes currently offered online, including free community yoga on Mondays, at Be Moved Studio. Contact Sally: sbirmi@gmail.com
Home Gardening for Health and Self-Sufficiency
Farmer and educator, Pantaleon Florez III helps first time gardeners understand the basics of growing their own food. We discuss seed starting, soil health, and breakdown all that farmer jargon on the back of seed packets. We also touch on issues of food security, food sovereignty, and people power.
Pantaleon Florez III is a farmer, independent researcher, and educator who runs Maseualkualli Farms in North Lawrence. The farm is a no-till and no fossil fuel project that produces fruit, veggies, and many kinds of herbs. For information on no-contact, weekly produce delivery text the farm line at 785-274-9848.
Tour the PermaCommons
The PermaCommons is a cooperatively-managed permaculture demonstration garden in east Lawrence. The garden is part of the Common Ground program, which turns under-utilized City land into food-growing gardens.
In this video, garden manager, Laura O’Dell takes us on a tour of PermaCommons, explains the benefits of permaculture, and how the community can get learn from and get involved in the garden.
For more on the PermaCommons email Laura: lodell01@gmail.com.
MORE WAYS TO CELEBRATE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY!
- TAKE A TREE TOUR of South Park or Lawrence Rotary Arboretum
- Together these sites are home to more than 50 species of trees!
- Access an interactive map of each site to take a self-guided tour. How many species can you find?
- READ A BOOK
- The Lawrence Public Library has created several book lists to celebrate Earth Day all year round.
- Kids: Environment, Climate, and Sustainability Non-fiction Titles
- Kids: Environment, Climate, and Sustainability Fiction Titles
- Kids: Environment, Climate, and Sustainability Picture Books
- Young Adults: Environment, Climate, and Sustainability Non-fiction Titles
- Teens: Eco-fiction and Climate-fiction Titles
- Adults: True Power for Climate Recovery Titles
- The Lawrence Public Library has created several book lists to celebrate Earth Day all year round.
Previous Earth Day Reports
- Earth Day Celebration 2021 (web page)
- Earth Day Celebration 2020 (web page)
- Earth Day Parade & Celebration 2019 (PDF)
- Earth Day Parade & Celebration 2018 (PDF)
- Earth Day Parade & Celebration 2017 (PDF)
- Earth Day Parade & Celebration 2016 (PDF)