Local sustainability-focused activities set for Earth Month | CLARKSVILLE
Traditionally Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22. As part of a growing global focus on environmental issues, the celebration has evolved into Earth Month, with observances and activities planned throughout April. Local festivities offer a number of opportunities to join in the efforts to promote sustainability and protect the planet.
The Clarksville Commons Earth Day event will bring together green-minded organizations, businesses and vendors on Saturday, from 1 to 4 p.m. Local farmers and sustainable makers will have items available for purchase. Environmental organizations, green-minded businesses and renewable energy companies will be on hand. Electric vehicle owners plan to meet up and display their vehicles as part of the Drive Electric Earth Month national campaign. Car models scheduled to appear include Tesla, Chevrolet Bolt, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Jaguar I-Pace.
The Columbia Ecology Institute’s Freetown Farm will host Earthapalooza on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Events will include tours of the pollinator garden and free samples of farm-to-table dishes made from homegrown produce. Attendees can prep for their home gardens by purchasing from a plant sale of vegetables, herbs and flowers and a free seed giveaway.
Spring cleaning efforts will take place countywide throughout Earth Month with the 20-Minute Cleanup challenge. Howard County once again is encouraging residents to select a time in April and spend at least 20 minutes picking up litter and tidying up outdoor areas. More than 18,000 residents have participated in this annual event during the past two decades. Participants can share their efforts by sending an email to 20minutecleanup@howardcountymd.gov. Include the number of people who helped, the number of bags of trash and recycling collected, the amount of time spent, and photos of the outing. Learn more at https://livegreenhoward.com/recycling-waste/litter-cleanups/.
If you’re looking for a long-term way to contribute, the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area is conducting a survey of butterflies. Adult volunteers are needed to observe, identify and count species of butterflies from April to October as part of the Howard County Butterfly Survey. Learn more at www.hocovolunteer.org.
Congratulations to the Clarksville Youth Care Group for winning the 39th Governor’s Service Award! Gov. Wes Moore presented the award to 10 recipients last month in recognition of residents who have worked to change Maryland for the better through volunteer contributions to the community. Amanda Wang, president of the group and a junior at River Hill High School, accepted the award. She co-founded the organization in 2020 to provide meaningful community service opportunities to Clarksville-area youth. Coincidentally, the group’s current service project focuses on environmental sustainability by promoting upcycling and composting to the public by holding community art classes with recycled materials and providing free composting kits to households.
Send news to include in this column about people and events in the Clarksville area to Susan Soldavin at susansoldavin@gmail.com.