The very first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and since then, the date has evolved into the largest participatory environmental movement across the globe. Needless to say, it’s a day dedicated to educating about, advocating for, and participating in environmental initiatives.
This year, Earth Day Canada’s media campaign is “Earth Day is Leg Day,” encouraging activists to “skip the car, save the planet” by biking, walking, or busing. Cars, after all, are one of the biggest contributors to gas emissions in Canada. Participating in the Leg Day Challenge hosted by Earth Day Canada could result in winning an e-bike, transit passes, and more. Visit earthday.ca/april-22/campaign/leg-day/ for more information.
Locally, municipalities, volunteer groups, businesses, and organizations are teaming up to get residents thinking about the planet on Earth Day. From educational summits and game nights, to getting immersed in nature with clean-ups, hikes and bio blitz, to contests and art shows, there are so many ways to get involved this year — and, hey, why not do a bit more and walk to the events instead of driving? Every bit counts, after all.
The Big Flip Contest from Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & the Kawarthas (April 1 – 30)
In honour of Earth Day, Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region are hosting The Big Flip, a Kawartha-wide furniture flipping contest. The contest promotes sustainability by encouraging people to turn trash into treasure by reviving used furniture, giving it a second life, and keeping it out of landfills.
To enter the contest, participants must take one “before” photo of the piece of furniture, one photo of them working on it, and one “after” photo. Winners of the People’s Choice (chosen by peers) and the Designer’s Choice (chosen by a panel of experts from Birchview Designs) will receive a prize pack from Fusion Mineral Paint, a year-long membership to Peterborough Tool Library with access to over 600 tools, and a $500 gift card to Chemong Home Hardware Building Centre.
The Big Flip is on now until April 30. Visit www.thebigflip.ca for more details and to enter.
Minden Hills Earth Day Contests (April 1 – 30)
The Township of Minden Hills is encouraging residents to engage in eco-friendly initiatives by hosting two Earth Day contests.
For the first Earth Day contest, participants can submit a photo of themselves engaging in an initiative such as doing a roadside clean-up, walking instead of taking the car, growing plants that attract pollinators, planting trees, or reducing waste. Location details must be included with the submission. Submissions will be entered into a draw, where one lucky winner will receive a FoodCycler Unit.
The fun doesn’t end there as the township is also hosting an Earth Day Colouring Contest. Stop by the township office, S.G. Nesbitt Memorial Arena, or any waste disposal site to pick up a colouring page. On the back of your page, write what Earth Day means to you. One winner will be selected at random to receive a gift basket.
Submissions for both contests can be emailed to ccosh@mindenhills.ca. The deadline for entries is April 30.
“Creating a Bike-Friendly Business” webinar (April 11)
No matter your business, there are always ways to support employee health, increase your customer base, and attract top talent, all while reducing your carbon footprint through easy-to-implement supports, policy, and local incentives.
Hosted by GreenUP and Green Economy Peterborough, Shifting Gears, and local business leaders Trent Health in Motion and Green Street, the “Creating a Bike-Friendly Business: Business Case, Best Practices & Supports” free lunch-and-learn event will educate on the benefits and strategies to make businesses more bike-friendly.
The event runs from 12 to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 11th on Zoom. Register at eventbrite.ca/e/875683983367.
Earth Day “Beeswax Wrap Make & Take” workshop at Dancing Bee in Port Hope (April 19)
Port Hope’s Dancing Bee Equipment (5029 County Road 2, Port Hope, 905-753-2623) is helping you kick your single-use disposable habit with a beeswax wrap-making activity from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 19th.
A great alternative to plastic wrap, these fun-to-make beeswax wraps will keep food fresh and can easily be refreshed if the wax starts to wear.
The workshop costs $50 per person and includes 10 per cent off in the Bee Works Gift Shop on workshop day.
Advance registration is required at dancingbeeequipment.com.
“NatureNurture: An Evening of Art for the Earth” in Camborne (April 20)
Immerse yourself in a creative exploration of the environment at an art show and live music event with proceeds going towards local environmental organizations. Beginning at 7 p.m. at the Old Camborne School (3441 Albert’s Alley, Camborne) north of Cobourg, the evening will include nature-themed indie and folk music from local musicians Shannon Linton, Jakeb Daniel, and Whitney O’Hearn.
There will also be visual artwork for sale and a short film presentation from multi-media artist MERKAT/Katie Hoogendam.
Proceeds from ticket sales, merchandise, and art prints will go towards the Northumberland Land Trust and other non-profit organizations around the Great Lakes focused on environmental advocacy.
Tickets are $20 or pay what you can. For more information and advance tickets, visit eventbrite.ca/e/860093190887. A small number of tickets will also be available at the door.
Peterborough Butt Blitz (April 20)
Cigarette butts account for one of five pieces of litter found in shoreline clean-ups. That’s why this Earth Day, non-profit organizations A Greener Future and Butt 1 Community are hosting their annual Butt Blitz from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 20th in Peterborough (meet at the Silver Bean Café at Millennium Park in downtown Peterborough).
Community members will remove butts from the streets while learning about the negative impacts of cigarette butt litter has on ecosystems and health.
The event will contribute to A Greener Future’s goal of removing one million butts from the environment across Canada throughout April. Last year’s event picked up over 285,000 butts across the country for recycling at TerraCycle Canada, and this year’s aim is to collect 350,000 butts.
A limited amount of equipment will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring an upcycled container (yogurt tub or coffee tin, for example) and gloves or a litter picker. A limited number of Pocket Ashtrays will be supplied by Butt 1 Community.
Visit the Butt 1 Community Facebook page at facebook.com/butt1community for more information.
“Fascinating Fungi” workshop at the Douro-Dummer Library (April 20)
Learn all about stinkhorns, velvet shanks, and conks at the Douro-Dummer Library with a beginner fungi workshop led by Susan Chow, a Trent University lab demonstrator specializing in ecology, botany, fungi, herpetology, and limnology.
Held from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 20th, the workshop will begin with an overview of how fungi groups are organized, before participants learn to recognize major fungi groups using an ID chart and the “Mushrooms of Ontario and Eastern Canada” field guide.
Examining collected specimens and a fun mushroom identification Jeopardy game will help fine-tune identification skills. Before the workshop, participants are encouraged to look at the identification chart at shorturl.at/jCNY2.
Admission to the workshop is by donation. For more information, contact the library at 705-652-8599 or email library@dourodummer.on.ca.
Lakefield Trail Work Day and Earth Day Hike (April 20 and 21)
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to get outside and enjoy and appreciate everything nature has to offer on a local trail?
Join the Lakefield Trail enthusiasts and the Township of Selwyn at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 20th at the Lakefield Marina (1 Water St., Lakefield) to help spread limestone screenings and pick up garbage along the Lakefield Trail, and spread mulch around the native plant garden. If you plan to mulch and weed trees, bring garden gloves, a weeding tool, and a kneeling pad.
If you prefer to spend a day to appreciate spring and immerse yourself in nature, meet at the Marshland Centre (64 Hague Blvd, Lakefield) at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 21st for an Earth Day Hike.
Visit selwyntownship.ca for more information about the Lakefield Trail and other upcoming events.
Earth Week with Sustainable Cobourg (April 20 – 27)
Sustainable Cobourg promotes environmentalism all year long, but they are rolling out even more during Earth Week (April 20 to 27).
This year’s events include a live tour of Ecology Garden (116 Hibernia St.) from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 20th, the Cobourg Butt Blitz and Peace Park clean-up on Sunday, April 21st, and an open house at Cycle Transitions – Community Bike Shop (740 Division St., Building 17) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 23rd.
Educational presentations at Venture13 (739 Darcy St.) include a talk on sustainability in the kitchen from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24th, building sustainability with Aerecura Rammed Earth Builders founder and CEO from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 26th, and a family event for green leaders to learn about biodiversity and applying citizen science digital skills starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 27th, when the Northumberland Mall parking lot will host an electric vehicles show and tell from 2 to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit sustainablecobourg.ca/earth-week-schedule/.
Cobourg Butt Blitz (April 21)
The Town of Cobourg is inviting all community members to get involved in a litter clean-up and Butt Blitz as a kick-off to the Mayors’ “Keep the County Clean” Challenge, which encourages community members to choose an area of Northumberland County in which to clean up litter between April 22 and 28.
In Cobourg, Mayor Lucas Cleveland will be kicking off the challenge on Sunday, April 21st in partnership with A Greener Future and Sustainable Cobourg.
A Greener Future will host the Butt Blitz from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, with participants asked to meet at the Cobourg Marina (103 Third St.) for a clean-up of the waterfront. All necessary supplies and equipment will be supplied. Sustainable Cobourg will be focusing their community clean-up efforts at Peace Park (175 Forth St.), also from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
To register for a clean-up, visit cobourg.ca/cleanup to sign up. Supplies, including gloves, pickers, and garbage bags will be available to pick up from the Public Works Building 7 (740 Division St.) between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m from April 22 to 25.
Kawartha Lakes 20-Minute Community Clean-Up (April 21 – 27)
All it takes is 20 minutes to better the planet. Last year, over 1,600 people participated in community clean-ups across the Kawartha Lakes with nearly 700 bags of litter collected.
This year, the City Kawartha Lakes is encouraging residents to surpass the record by getting together with neighbours, community groups, teams, friends, and family to do a clean-up during Earth Week from Sunday, April 21st to Saturday, April 27th.
Register your community clean-up at kawarthalakes.formbuilder.ca/20-Minute-Community-Clean-Up or at a municipality service location. The municipality will supply clear garbage bags and gloves to participating groups and will contact each group to to set up waste disposal arrangements.
Earth Day in Brighton (April 22)
The Environmental Club at East Northumberland Secondary School is hosting a free celebration in Brighton’s Memorial Park from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Earth Day (Monday, April 22nd).
The afternoon begins with guest speaker, local naturalist and educator Ian Shanahan, followed by music by local band Downbeat. Bring a lawn chair. There will also be displays from local groups to educate visitors on how they can help the community and environment around them.
Staff from the Municipality of Brighton will be in attendance to help register and give out clean-up supplies to those looking to participate in the community clean-up around part of the downtown running from 12 to 2 p.m.
Nature Nuts Super Trivia Quiz Night in Haliburton (April 22)
Put your nature knowledge to the test with the Nature Nuts Super Trivia Quiz Night held at the Haliburton Highlands Museum (66 Museum Rd., Haliburton) beginning at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 22nd.
Participants can come in their own teams of four (don’t forget to come up with a creative team name!) or join a team for all-ages fun. Questions will cover everything from reptiles and amphibians to fish, birds, and other wildlife. Prizes to be won include a water barrel, binoculars, swag, gift baskets, and more.
Participation cost $15 at the door for a team of four, or $5 per person. Register online in advance for the chance to win a door prize valued at $100. Visit www.thelandbetween.ca/event/earth-day-nature-nuts-super-trivia-quiz-night/ to learn more and to register.
Earth Day Seedling Exchange – Peterborough Public Library (April 22)
From 4 to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 22nd, the Peterborough Public Library (45 Aylmer St.) is hosting a free Earth Day Seedling Exchange in the Multipurpose Room.
Whether you’re an experienced green thumb or just beginning, the seedling exchange gives you the chance to add some new life to this year’s garden. Bring seedlings you’ve started at home of, if you participated in the library’s makerspace event earlier in the month and planted vegetable seeds, you’re welcome to bring some of those seedlings.
Advance registration is not required.
Earth Day Tree Planting in Fenelon Falls (April 22)
Country Cupboard Health Food Store in Fenelon Falls, which usually gives away trees on Earth Day, is instead planting them this year starting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 22nd.
They are inviting members of the community to help plant a mini fruit tree forest at the end of Queen Street, where nine homeowners have agreed to have fruit trees planted in their front yards and have committed to sharing the eventual fruit with the community to fight food insecurity. Rocks will also be painted with messages of sharing and community, to be placed at the base of the trees to commemorate the reason the trees were planted well into the future.
Bring a shovel and your reusable water bottle.
Selwyn Township Earth Day Clean Up (April 22 – 27)
The Township of Selwyn is not limiting their community clean ups to just Earth Day, as residents are encouraged to pick up litter from the roadside and public spaces throughout the week from Monday, April 22nd to Saturday, April 27th.
The municipality will supply participants with clear bags for garbage and recycling and nitrite gloves, courtesy of Swish Maintenance, along with a landfill pass, all of which are available for pick up at the Township office (1310 Centre Line). Filled garbage and recycling bags can then be brought to the Smith Landfill (1480 County Rd. 18) for disposal on Saturday, April 27th or from Tuesday, April 30th to Friday, May 5th (garbage and recycling must be sorted in separate bags).
Participants are encouraged to share their pictures of participation by tagging @SelwynTownship on social media or by submitting them by email to sustainable@selwyntownship.ca.
Visit selwyntownship.ca/en/news/earth-day-clean-up.aspx for more information.
Peterborough and the Kawarthas Cycling Summit: Safe Streets for Everyone (April 24 & 25)
The Peterborough and the Kawarthas Cycling Summit will present the opportunity to share knowledge, tools, and tactics leading to a future where the safety of all road users is of utmost importance. Presented by the Peterborough Bicycle Advisory Committee, the two-day event will include guest speakers, interactive design workshops, and informative cycling and walking tours.
On Wednesday, April 24th from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Showplace Performance Centre, the event will kick off with keynote speaker Ian Lockwood, a livable transportation engineer with Toole Design Group, who will speak about cities transformed through complete streets initiatives. The night will include a grazing table, cash bar, door prize draw, and networking opportunities.
On Thursday, April 25th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the McDonnel Street Activity Centre, Dr. Sara Whitehead and Valerie Smith will share proven approaches to transportation safety, including tools, tactics and lessons learned from around the world. Participants will also have to opportunity to re-imagine roads and intersections in collaborative design workshops. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. There will also be guided bike and walking tours, with bicycle rentals available.
Registration for the summit costs $15 or pay what you can. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com/e/856258832217.
Peterborough’s City Nature Challenge Event at Ecology Park (April 26 & 27)
In partnership with the Peterborough Field Naturalists, the City of Peterborough is participating in City Nature Challenge, the global bio blitz competition. From April 26 to 29, citizen scientists are encouraged to explore their backyards and local parks to record the range of biodiversity found.
All observations within the city boundaries that are uploaded to the City Nature Challenge on iNaturalist will count towards the project challenge which will calculate the total participants, observations, and species recorded throughout the four days. The challenge provides key information to help researchers understand and assists in identifying population changes and environmental effects on biodiversity.
To kick off the City Nature Challenge, a community bio blitz will be held at Ecology Park, Beavermead Park, and Farmcrest Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 26th and Saturday, April 27th. Local experts from Peterborough Field Naturalists will lead tours of the parks to identify plants and animals and provide background to the area’s natural history. The meeting location for all walks is the GreenUP Ecology Park Pavilion just off the Trans Canada Trail.
For more information on the City Nature Challenge, the community bio blitz, and using iNaturalist, visit peterborough.ca/nature.
Jackson Park Peterborough Earth Day Celebration (April 27)
On Saturday, April 27th from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the Friends of Jackson Park will be hosting a celebration of Earth Day with an afternoon of free family-friendly activities at Jackson Park.
Activities for the afternoon include guided nature walks, an introduction to disc golf, a Bonnerworth Park tour, guided meditation, medicinal plant presentation, invasive species identification, and more.
As part of the afternoon, B!KE: The Peterborough Community Cycling Hub will also be providing free ABC bike checks and cycling and route information from 2 to 2:25 p.m., before leading a group ride along the trail in Jackson’s Park at 2:40 p.m.
The event starts at Hamilton Park (575 Bonaccord St.). In the case of dangerous weather, the celebration will be moved to Saturday, May 4th. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
City of Peterborough Great Community Litter Clean-up (April 27 & 28)
Every year, especially around Earth Day, Peterborough-area community organizations and neighbourhood groups organize litter clean-ups as part of their efforts to protect the environment. This year, the City of Peterborough is encouraging everyone to participate in the Great Community Litter Clean-up on Saturday, April 27th and Sunday, April 28th.
Groups can register their Great Community Litter Clean-up location at peterborough.ca/en/city-services/litter.aspx to receive a free litter clean-up kit and arrange a designated time and location for public works staff to collect their garbage.
Kits will be available for pick-up by registered groups at the public works office (791 Webber Ave.) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. Groups are encouraged to share their photos on social media using the hashtag #PtboLitterAction and tagging @CityPtbo.
On Earth Day (Monday, April 22), Peterborough Mayor Jeff Leal and city councillors will be promoting the Great Community Litter Clean-up with an announcement at 1 p.m. at the Beavermead Park Pavilion (2011 Ashburnham Dr.).
