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Chapel Hill and Carrboro host Earth Day events throughout weekend

With Earth Day quickly approaching this month, organizations across Carrboro and Chapel Hill are planning environmentally friendly events for community members of all ages.

Here is a guide to Earth Day events happening on April 22 and 23.

Earth Day events in Carrboro

The Climate Reality Project’s Orange County chapter will host an Earth Day event in partnership with the town at the Carrboro Town Commons from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Earth Day, April 22.

Registration is not required, and there will be live music, information tables, a children’s parade and other kids’ activities. While admission is free, attendees can buy food and other items on sale at the event.

Margie Muenzer, secretary for Climate Reality Project’s Orange County chapter, said one of the main goals of the Earth Day event is to provide educational opportunities for the community.

“Sometimes people are overwhelmed with the climate crisis and don’t think there’s really anything that they can do,” she said. “This is to show that if we can get everybody working together, there’s certainly a lot that communities can do.”

During the event, Muenzer said there will be a variety of vendors to help families learn more about environmental topics such as food waste, beekeeping, sustainability, recycling and solar energy. Items like vegan ice cream, honey, plants, soaps and candles will be available for sale.

For the children’s parade at 6 p.m., children are encouraged to wear nature-related costumes. There will be a table at the Earth Day event where children can create their own costumes from recycled goods.

On April 23 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the Carrboro recreation, parks and cultural resources department will host its annual Keep Carrboro Beautiful Volunteer Day.

Jeremy Poythress, recreation supervisor for Carrboro’s recreation, parks and cultural resources department, said the event’s purpose is to beautify the city by removing litter.

“You get a really nice feeling from seeing a big bag of trash in your hand at the end of the day that you know isn’t out in the environment anymore,” Poythress said.

Volunteers will be provided with gardening or latex gloves, trash bags, trash grabbers and safety vests.

Those interested in attending the Keep Carrboro Beautiful Volunteer Day can call 919-918-7392 to register.

Pre-registration is required for the event. Volunteers will meet at the Carrboro Century Center.

Earth Day events in Chapel Hill

Triangle Families Explore will be hosting its first Earth Day Festival outside of the Honeysuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill on April 23 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The event is for all ages but will offer many hands-on activities for children. It will feature a puppet show, crafts, nature activities and live music.

Cheyenne Levinson, owner of Triangle Families Explore, said she was motivated to put on the event to celebrate the beginning of spring.

“What better way to kick off spring than with an Earth Day festival?” Levinson said.

She also said that the majority of the businesses that she will be collaborating with are focused on sustainability and nature.

The Honeysuckle Tea House will serve its regular menu inside the shop, but all items at the event outside will be free.

The Earth Day Festival does not require registration.

The Kidzu Children’s Museum will be hosting a Renewable Energy Day event as a part of the North Carolina Science Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 23.

The event is free to the public and pre-registration is required for guaranteed admission.

Allie Lee, the outdoor learning coordinator at the Kidzu Children’s Museum, said that the event will include activities like making wind turbines, gliders and simple motors.

She also noted that there will be a craft section that will contain solar beads and allow for the layers of the Earth to be shown.

Lee said she feels kids are interested in climate-related issues.

“I think it makes them feel empowered when they feel they can help be a part of the solution,” she said.

@sierrapresident

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com

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Carrboro celebrates Earth Hour, looks forward to environmental events in April

The Town of Carrboro encouraged residents to go dark for an hour on Saturday to celebrate Earth Hour.

Residents who took part were asked to turn off any electric, non-essential lights — except for ones that affect public safety — in order to support awareness about climate action on a global and local scale.

This is Carrboro’s 12th consecutive year participating in Earth Hour, a global effort organized through the World Wildlife Fund. Cities across the world join in at 8:30 p.m local time to show that collective action can bring about positive change.

“It’s a global movement just to unite folks on all these environmental issues and how we can continue to protect Mother Earth,” Carrboro Town Council Member Barbara Foushee said.

This year’s resolution to recognize Earth Hour was brought forth by Carrboro Town Council Member Randee Haven-O’Donnell during a regular meeting on March 22. The matter passed unanimously.

They noted how Earth Hour has been historically practiced in individual homes but hope to see the event evolve to include more community-oriented action.

“It’s more about how we’re going to incorporate Earth Hour going forward to make it more robust,” they said.

Beyond the event

Earth Hour is part of larger efforts from Carrboro to educate residents on sustainable and healthy living.

Carrboro Town Council member Barbara Foushee said it can oftentimes be challenging to lead an environmentally-conscious lifestyle due to financial and time constraints.

“Everybody doesn’t have that same opportunity to focus on climate change everyday, because they’re focusing on life stuff,” Foushee said. “They’re focusing on paying the rent, having enough food, having enough money to meet those everyday, basic needs.”

Foushee noted that she wants to focus on education and conversations surrounding climate change for individuals in these situations.

To provide educational resources, the Town of Carrboro plans to hold several events throughout April.

Keep Carrboro Beautiful, which is set to take place on Earth Day on April 22, will encourage individuals to pick up trash across Carrboro.

“I think it’s important anywhere you live to make sure the place is clean and nice for the community and the citizens who live in it,” Galen Poythress, the recreation supervisor at Carrboro Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Resources, said.

Carrboro will also celebrate Earth Day through an event at Town Commons, where tables from environmental advocacy groups will provide education resources to attendees. In addition, there will also be food trucks serving plant-based options.

“It’s like a show and tell, so people don’t feel alone,” Haven- O’Donnell said. “So they see ‘Oh my goodness, all of this is going on in community and I can be a part of it or I can help others be a part of it.'”

O’Donnell said they look forward to increased participation in local events like Earth Hour.

“It just helps bring the focus back to the window that is closing for climate change and climate change mitigation, and every little thing that we do collectively helps,” Foushee said.

@eliza_benbow

@DTHCityState | city@dailytarheel.com

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