Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day here in the U.S. and around the world. This year it’s the 53rd anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day aims to persuade businesses, governments and citizens around the world of the need to invest in our planet to improve our environment and give future generations a better and safer future. Events around the world are coordinated by earthday.org and include a billion people in 193 countries.
Here on the East End there are a variety of Earth Day events:
Peconic Land Trust, The Audubon Society and Quogue Wildlife Refuge will hold an Earth Day Celebration at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge on Saturday April 22nd from 12 to 3 pm, rain or shine, with guided birding walks, live animal presentations, crafts for kids, environmental exhibitors and self-guided kayaking and canoeing on Old Ice Pond. Participants can bring old electronics for recycling. The event is offered by the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society, Westhampton Beach Earth Day and Quogue Wildlife Refuge.
The Great East End Cleanup, headed up by Southampton Town councilman Rick Martel, takes place on April 22 and 23. Last year over 800 volunteers removed tons of garbage, metal and tires that were sorted for recycling from beaches, parks, trails and roadsides. For more information and to register, visit the Southampton Town website at www.southamptontownny.gov and follow the link for the Great East End Clean-Up.
On Saturday and Sunday The Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt will participate in the Great East End Cleanup in Southampton Town. For more information and to learn more about the greenbelt visit longpondgreenbelt.org.
SoFo, the South Fork History Museum, hosts an open house and Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 22nd from 10 am to 9 pm. Events include: from 10am to 12pm you can meet cats and dogs from the Southampton Animal Shelter, ARF, the Animal Rescue Fund, will also be there to share info about their mission and newly renovated East Hampton adoption center. From 2pm to 3pm Jungle Bob will present an animal show. From 7 to 9pm a Family Nature Trivia Night will close the day. For more information visit sofo.org.
The East Hampton Trails Preservation Society will host a hike on Ocean Dunes Nature Trail and a cleanup hike in Montauk County Park. For more information visit ehtps.org
The East Hampton Library will host an Earth Day Seed Mason Jar Craft for children at 3pm on April 22nd.
The Slow Food East End Earth Day Celebration takes place on Saturday, April 22 at St. Joseph’s Villa in Hampton Bays, 81 Lynn Avenue, from 1 to 5 pm (rain date is Sunday 4/23). This is also the site of the Ecological Cultural Institute’s Good Ground Heritage Garden, and Shinnecock Kelp Farmers (a seed to sale, multigenerational collective of 6 indigenous women addressing climate crisis by raising kelp. Food and beverages will be for sale. Participants include 1760 Homestead Farm, A Book Place Boutique, Adrift New York, Balo Foods North Fork Seafood Truck, Cornell Cooperative Extension Wild Capture Fisheries Department, East End Food Institute, Ecological Cultural Initiative, Food Rescue US – North Fork, and Granola Plant. For more information visit slowfoodeastend.org
