10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

GoLocalProv Features Team

It's not just about the clean-ups (although the clean-ups are excellent, and here's a great place to find out what's up near you, )... but here's a great bundle of other ways to love Mother Earth, Rhode Island-style, this week.

Walk it out

April 19-22: The Audubon Society of RI is offering 14 free guided walks on wildlife refuges across the state in celebration. You can take a nighttime stroll, search for salamanders, explore a salt marsh or a rocky stretch of Narragansett Bay shoreline, or go on a family-oriented nature hike. For a full schedule of walks & hikes, go here.

Party for the planet

Now through April 22: The Roger Williams Park Zoo has bundled a whole week of eco-themed activities, so if you've got kids home for school vacation, you're doubly delighted. Healthy Active Earth is the theme for Tuesday/Wednesday, The Art of Nature on Thursday/Friday. Events cluster from 11am-3pm; for a full schedule, go here.

Join the fun at Norman Bird Sanctuary

April 19: Creative crafting, 5:30-7pm. A crafting evening in honor of Earth Day. Learn how to make envelopes, paper bead jewelry, magnets, and more, by transforming and reusing objects. Hint: great Mother's Day gift potential.
April 23: The Good Gardens, 10am-1pm: Start off with a soil health and composting workshop, help the NBS layout a new garden design and add organic mulch, and enjoy lunch plus a natural brick making demo. Parallel opps for kids. Go here for information; to register in advance, call 846-2577.

Learn how to set up a rain barrel in your garden

April 20: The Southside Community Land Trust is popping up a speed course from 6-7pm on this smart way to save water, at the African Alliance Community Garden. You can also register at the workshop to win a free, 55-gallon rain barrel donated by the Narragansett Bay Commission. Click here to preregister. 32 Diamond St, South Providence.

Play (and learn) in the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center

April 20, 1-3pm: URI's Learning Landscapes has a special Earth Day program for families today that includes composting, solar bead bracelets, and more. Kids can plant seeds in the their own greenhouse and bring them home. $8/child, $5/family. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and you must preregister: call 874-2900 or email [email protected].

Even though the Earth is in "JeoParty," hit this party

April 22, 6-9pm: You've got live music, local beer, and Jeopardy madness at this 4th annual Earth Day fete organized by Clean Water Action. There's free Nice Slice pizza and sweet desserts, plus raffles, prizes, and networking with the eco-minded. Local 121, 121 Washington St, Providence.

Laugh about it

April 22, 10:30am-1:30pm: Sometimes a movement just has to have a sense of humor, and the Providence Children's Museum gets this. Check out "No Time to Waste," a hilarious interactive family comedy about recycling. Yes, recycling. Four 20-minute shows: 10:30, 11:30, 12:15 and 1:15. Ages 5-11.

Sing it out

April 23, noon-midnight: Brown University's Folk Festival has taken on an Earth Day theme this year, so you can combine hanging out on blankets listening to great songs along with skits on good energy habits, get free water (the event is bottled-water free), and enjoy local food and craft vendors.

Go to the movies

April 20, 7:30pm: EcoRi News and Whole Foods are screening "The Vanishing of the Bees," a documentary about Colony Collapse Disorder, for free, at Hope Artiste Village, 1005 Main St, Pawtucket. Talk after. Donations accepted.

Compost like a pro

April 23, 9am-12:30pm: URI shows you how to do it right with a practical composting workshop that will have you converting leaves and yard debris into rich soil. Bring an empty gallon container so you can bring your own freshly brewed actively aerated compost tea to use on your garden. $25. To register, click here.