Celebrate Earth Day in Maple Ridge
Over 4000 residents came out to Memorial Peace Park on Saturday, April 20, 2024 to enjoy the sun, activities, entertainment, food, and more!
“It was a fantastic day,” says Event Coordinator Leanne Koehn, “The sunny weather always brings out lots of people and we were so glad they could all join us to celebrate Earth Day and kick off Festival Season in Maple Ridge!”
This year’s Earth Day Roots theme was highlighted in many ways – at the Welcoming Ceremonies, including a welcome by Elder Colleen Pierre of Katzie First Nation, Poetry & Photo Contest winners, and local representatives answering “Roots”-related questions. The City of Maple Ridge was on site to hand out cookies for volunteer week and highlight upcoming events to celebrate the City’s 150th Anniversary this year. The BC Summer Games had a booth to sign up volunteers for the upcoming Games taking place in Maple Ridge in July.
The Haney Farmers Market, celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, was VERY popular. “It was a great day,” says Executive Director Ron Gorman, “we had 60 vendors, almost double last year’s number, and sale numbers were almost three times more than last year! We are looking forward to our official opening on Saturday, April 27, where we will also be hosting the torch-lighting ceremony for the BC Summer Games.”
Artists and performers filled the Earth Day site with a Roots-themed nature mandala, flash mobs, circus performers, interactive art, and musicians performing at two stages, including the brand-new portable events stage provided by the City of Maple Ridge set up in front of the ACT Arts Centre.
Other event highlights included the Maple Ridge Climate Hub presenting the 3rd Annual Climate Champion Awards, HUB Cycling giving away 20 bikes in the Cycle Recycle Free Bike Draw, Tinkerbell at the Repair Café, lineups at the Family Freecycle and a 1912 Detroit Electric car at the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association’s Electric Vehicle Display.
The Earth Day Planning Committee sends a big “THANK YOU!!” to all volunteers, sponsors, participants, performers, local representatives, and attendees who all helped to make Celebrate Earth Day in Maple Ridge 2024 an overwhelming success!!
“The Maple Ridge Earth Day 2024 theme, ROOTS, highlights the past and underlying supports in our community and our lives that are not always visible,” says Event Coordinator Leanne Koehn, “Who we are today and what we see around us are the branches and “leaves” from seeds previously planted and nurtured. Our community has grown from many different people and ideas and initiatives and actions we may never be fully aware of.” What seeds will YOU plant today that will become the Roots of the future?
The Roots theme also celebrates the long natural & Indigenous history of our area and special events in 2024, including the 150th anniversary of the incorporation of Maple Ridge as a township; 20 years of the Haney Farmers Market bringing community together; and Maple Ridge hosting the BC Summer Games (we “root” for our favourite teams & athletes!).
Activities to enjoy at Celebrate Earth Day:
Family Freecycle
In preparation for the Family Freecycle, donations of gently used books, toys, and clothing are collected for two weeks ahead of the event, including at a drop-off event the night before Earth Day, from 5-7pm, in front of the Leisure Centre. All items collected are sorted into sizes and categories, set out on tables in the Leisure Centre, and given away at the Earth Day event. We live in an abundant society – most people have too much “stuff” and are more than happy to give it away. Declutter your home then come to find something NEW to YOU!
Haney Farmers Market
The Earth Day event is the debut market of the season. With over 20 vendors at the Celebrate Earth Day Event there is something for everyone! The Haney Farmers Market encourages a healthy community by providing the public with direct access to food producers. The Market serves to stimulate and support the local economy, to provide opportunities to inform and entertain and to support and strongly encourage environmental sustainability. https://www.farmersandmore.org/locations-maple-ridge
Electric Vehicle Display & Demonstrations
Learn more about why the future is electric. Members of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association are more than happy to tell you about the different kinds of electric vehicles and you may even be able to go for a ride in an electric car!! If you are thinking of buying an electric vehicle, come and ask them all your questions! www.veva.ca
Food Truck Festival
Come hungry! Hunger Management has rounded up food trucks to satisfy your sweet, savoury, and any other hunger needs!
Repair Café
Got broken stuff? Bring it to the Repair Cafe and learn how to fix it – for FREE! Experienced Fixers will be on hand to assist with the repair or offer advice on all your sewing, electrical, carpentry, jewellery, or bike repair needs. Glue, tape, tools, sewing machines and more are available to use. Want to just come check us out? No problem! Come have a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy the magic of repair. www.mrrepaircafe.ca
TINKERbell Station
TINKERbell Station will be set up at the Repair Cafe for kids to get hands-on with tools, take stuff apart & learn how it works, build original creations, or just tinker! You may even see Tinkerbell herself there to give you a hand!
Cycle Recycle Free Bike Draw
At the Cycle Recycle, the local HUB Cycling group collects secondhand bikes, fixes them up, and gives them away in a free bike draw at Earth Day. Many of the bikes were destined for the scrap heap at the Recycling Depot and HUB helps get both the bikes and residents back on the road. www.bikehub.ca/mr-pm
Art Studio Tour
The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Art Studio Tour invites you to dive in to hands on art activities. Join our artists to play with clay, decorate a pottery heart, or pick up a brush and add your mark to our community canvas. Take in a display of our artists’ work and learn more about the tour, which takes place over the Mother’s Day weekend in May. www.ArtStudioTour.ca
Kids Active Play Zone
Stop by Maple Ridge Parks, Recreation & Culture’s Kids Active Play Zone where children can test their skills by hopping, throwing and jumping their way through an obstacle course. With a focus on getting outside and connecting with nature the Kids Active Play Zone with have many valuable resources available. Learn more about the Live 5-2-1-0 message- 5 fruits and veggies, no more than 2 hours of screen time, a minimum of 1 hour of physical activity and 0 sugary drinks.
Welcoming Ceremonies:
Don’t miss the Welcoming Ceremonies starting at 10:30am at the Main Stage in front of the ACT Arts Centre (Outdoors). Join us to give thanks to the Katzie First Nation and Kwantlen First Nation for being stewards of our beautiful home since time immemorial. Congratulate the Climate Champions and winners of the Earth Day Poetry & Photo Contests and hear some impromptu answers to theme-related questions from community representatives!
Earth Day Volunteers:
Celebrate Earth Day is one of our community’s largest, most popular festivals – and volunteers make it happen! Individuals, families, business teams…anyone can help out! Give us a hand or stay for the day! Volunteers can choose the Setup or Takedown shift, plus get a break to enjoy the festival!
Learn more about volunteering at Earth Day – check out our Volunteer Video and sign up using our online form!
2024 Earth Day Entertainment
Music Stages – ACT Stage & Market Stage:
There are two Music Stages – one in front of the ACT Arts Centre and one at Market Square at the Haney Farmers Market.
Past Roving Performers & Flash Mobs at Earth Day Festivals:
Roving Performers & surprise Flash Mobs will be wandering around the site waiting to entertain YOU!! Past amazing event performers have included dance enthusiast Spandy Andy, characters like Tinkerbell & Anna from Out of the Rain Characters, and Tristan Underwood from KiteZone Entertainment. Unique Flash Mobs have included Tai Chi, Belly Dancing, Seniors Gold Fitness, and, new this year, Ukeleles and performers from Garibaldi Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Lightning Thief – The Percy Jackson Muscial”!!
SPANDY ANDY
Spandy Andy is a Canadian-born entertainer who spreads joy across the world with his contagious dance moves. Join in as he delights the crowd with his high-energy dance moves and infectious personality. He brings his unique style of comedy and dance together to make the world a happier place. www.SpandyAndy.com
TINKERBELL & FRIENDS – OUT OF THE RAIN CHARACTER EVENTS
Out of the Rain comes a collection of carefully crafted characters – each character will make your event truly magical! They sing, act, and are kind and courageous. Out of the Rain will bring smiles in the rain or shine to all of British Columbia. They make memories magical. www.outoftherainevents.com.
KITE ZONE ENTERTAINMENT
“Defying gravity, precision-designed ultra light kites are propelled by a gentle balance of movement and the precise skill and technique of their pilots who lead the kites in a dance that scribes a graceful story in the air. It combines skill, precise design, and creativity; it is art, music, dance, and theatre – all rolled into one dynamic package!”
Most photos on this page taken by Karen Learmonth of Amber Light Photography
If you are interested in VOLUNTEERING at Earth Day, visit our Volunteer Information Page & sign up using the online form.
Previous Celebrate Earth Day Festivals:
2023: “Flow”
The Maple Ridge Earth Day 2023 theme, FLOW, looked at the many flows of life that swirl around us, and encouraged people to become more conscious about how they interact and react to these continually changing landscapes.
Whether we admit it or not, embrace it or not, change is the only constant in life. There are so many different flows all around us. Throughout our lives, we are constantly navigating these flows, moving from one place to another, needing different things at different times.
Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed and need to step OUT of the flow for a bit, take a break, clear your head. Maybe you have been looking in from the outside for too long and need the courage and encouragement to step IN – to connect with people, get involved in the community, volunteer. Maybe you are dancing with the flow, enjoying where it takes you or working to divert it to a better place.
Thirty years ago, volunteers with the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS) were doing just that. Since 1993, the Society has been proactively protecting and improving the Alouette Watershed and surrounding areas by creating a healthy environment connecting parks, trail systems, public centers and waterways.
2022: “Pathways to a Better Normal”
In 2022, the Celebrate Earth Day Planning Committee encouraged residents to explore “Pathways to a Better Normal” at the Earth Day event held at Memorial Peace Park from 10am – 2pm on Saturday, April 23, 2022.
Our 2022 theme, Pathways to a Better Normal, was designed to encourage people to take small, simple steps toward the world they want to create. The event explored pathways into Water & Energy Conservation, Transportation, the Outdoors, and Community and encouraged people to do one thing, then do another.
Sometimes the array of choices or lack of direction can be overwhelming, and many people have struggled through the isolation and mental stress of being in a pandemic for an extended period of time. At times we all need connection, direction, and guidance. Our goal was to help people see the path forward, the way to positive change, one small step at a time.
Looking for a place to start making your own Pathway to a Better Normal? Here are some simple steps to take toward building COMMUNITY, conserving WATER, choosing sustainable TRANSPORTATION, conserving ENERGY, and getting OUTDOORS and why these are all important 🙂
2021: “EMERGE”
Hello Maple Ridge (and welcome, neighbours)!!!
Looking for something outdoors to safely do with the kids?
Interested in exploring hidden gems in your community?
Earth Day 2021 is all about “EMERGE”-ing! Print out our list of challenges to explore your community and learn more about all the awesomeness Maple Ridge has to offer. These locations and more are highlighted in our custom google map.
Find something that challenges YOU to emerge in your community!
CHALLENGE LIST
Download the Earth Day 2021 COMMUNITY CHALLENGE LIST!
Stay safe…
Remember to follow all public health orders while exploring your community! Stay 2 meters from others, wear a mask, and wash or sanitize your hands frequently.
Click on the box in the upper right hand corner to expand the map and explore Outdoor &
Indoor Activities, Local History, Arts & Culture, & Community Highlights…check out the links and address and have fun exploring IRL!!
Since launching “The MAP” in 2021, it has been viewed almost 350,000 times!!
Got a suggestion for an awesome activity or cool place in Maple Ridge to add to the map? Email your suggestion, the street address, and a photo to leanne@rmrecycling.org – challenge categories include Arts & Culture, Outdoor Activities, Local History, and Community. Examples include favourite hikes, special dishes at favourite restaurants (with a description of why you love it), activities like watching the sunset at Haney Wharf, or just hidden gems in your neighbourhood you’d like to share with others.
PHOTO CONTEST 2021!
Congratulations to all participants and winners of the Earth Day Photo Contest and THANK YOU for sharing your beautiful photos on the theme of “EMERGE”!
POETRY & MORE CONTEST 2021!
The Poetry Contest E-X-P-A-N-D-E-D this year! In addition to poems, we accepted “flash fiction” and video entries! Congratulations to all winners and participants and THANK YOU for sharing your creativity!!
Winners are:
Child category: Joe Fiehn (1st & 3rd) and Abby Phillips (2nd)
Youth category: Samantha Sqalajko (1st), Halle Grof (2nd), & Rachael Fiehn (3rd)
Adult category: Olivia Burrage (1st), Susan Bliss (2nd), & Charlene Fiehn (3rd)
Also this year – Natali Leduc, Artist-in-Residence for the City of Maple Ridge, is compiling a book of all the entries to share with everyone who participated in the contest. The book will be part of The Little Library of What?, one of her community projects as artist-in-residence. This will be mailed out to all participants.
FREECYCLE 2021
Freecycle is back! As we are still unable to gather in large groups Freecycle is taking place on-line. A Facebook page (Freecycle 2021) has been created for people in Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows to list items they are wanting to give away for free. 2020: “Healthy Community, Healthy Self: Get Active”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to cancel our 2020 Earth Day event, but were so happy to continue the Celebrate Earth Day Poetry & Photo Contests – congratulations to all the winners!
2019: “Healthy Community, Healthy Self: Invest in Your Community”
On April 13, 2019, Celebrate Earth Day’s “Healthy Community, Healthy Self” theme encouraged everyone to “Invest in Your Community” and highlighted mental, social, and economic health. Thank you all Planning Committee Members, sponsors, Welcoming Ceremonies speakers, performers, llamas, participants, and volunteers for making it a thoroughly enjoyable day despite the wetness!!
Earth Day 2019: “Invest in Your Community: Focus on Mental, Social, & Economic Health”
“Someone will take care of it.” What if that someone is YOU? Join the thousands of Maple Ridge citizens who volunteer for their community, making a world of difference in so many ways. Creating a sharing economy and working on solutions to community issues such as poverty, food insecurity, and addiction builds connections and can inspire the sense of purpose sometimes needed to pull us out of our own apathy and isolation. Building a healthy community starts with YOU – giving time to your community and taking time for yourself.
2018: “DIY: Make it, Grow it, Fix it, Share it!”
Celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, April 21, 2018 encouraged everyone to “DIY: Make it, Grow it, Fix it, Share it!”
This eco-inspired, all ages event included the Family Freecycle, the Cycle Recycle Free Bike Draw, arts & entertainment, interactive booths, flash mobs, a special Haney Farmers Market, electric vehicles, a Food Truck Festival and more. This year, we encourage everyone to “DIY: Make it, Grow it, Fix it, Share it!”
Broken items were brought to be fixed at the Repair Cafe at the Greg Moore Youth Centre and kids got hands on at TINKERbell Station to make and share their original creations! For more photos, visit the “Celebrate Earth Day in Maple Ridge” Facebook Page.
2017: “Back to Nature”
Celebrate Earth Day’s 2017’s theme, “Back to Nature,” highlighted the natural beauty all around us – one of the best things about living in Maple Ridge! Event photos of Earth Day 2017 by Amber Light Photography are posted on the Celebrate Earth Day Facebook Page. Also check out this great video of our event from Christina Waschko!
Earth Day favourites from past years were back, including a special Earth Day Haney Farmers Market, winners of the Earth Day Poetry & Photo contests, the Cycle Recycle Free Bike Draw, lots of kids’ crafts, electric vehicles courtesy of VEVA, roving entertainers & flash mobs, an expanded Food Truck festival on 224th Street, and, of course, the popular Family Freecycle, where gently used books, toys, & clothes were available for free to the public at the Leisure Centre’s preschool at the Earth Day event.
As always, the arts were a huge part of Earth Day. Live entertainment included music stages, surprise flash mobs, a welcoming ceremony parade, and roving performers. Attendees made some crafts, got their face painted, helped create the Earth Day Nature Mandala, and checked out artists from the Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Art Studio Tour. A new element this year was the Kids ‘n’ Nature PlayZone located in the grassy area south of the Farmer’s Market for some hands-on nature exploration – Tinkerbell was even on site for some dancing and storytime!
About the theme…
The 2017 theme for Celebrate Earth Day in Maple Ridge was 
“Back to Nature” – one of the main ideas behind this theme is that if residents (and their kids!) get away from screens and spend more time in nature, they will learn to love it and fight to save it. This year, we partnered with outdoor & environmental groups to organize lots of lead-up outdoor activities throughout March & April to get people outside. Activities include canoe tours, trail clearing, salmon fry release, nature printing & photography, family hikes, and more! Check out the video compilation below 🙂
2016: “ENERGY!”
“ENERGY!” was our theme for Celebrate Earth Day 2016 and there was lots of it on site, including various Human Recharging Stations 🙂 Amber Light Photography was there to capture some great event photos!
2015 – “Water, Water Everywhere”
Celebrate Earth Day 2015 made a splash with our “Water, Water Everywhere” focus on Saturday, April 18, 2015. Check out photos of the event by Amber Light Photography and our April, 2015 Newsletter highlighting the event.
2014 – “Food for Thought”
Celebrate Earth Day 2014 celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Haney Farmers Market and “Food For Thought” on Saturday, April 26, 2014. There are some great photos of the event on Amber Light Photography’s Facebook Page and we highlighted it in our April, 2014 Newsletter
2013 – “Earth Arts”
Celebrate Earth Day 2013 Partnered with the ARTS and took place on Saturday, April 20, 2013.
Check out photos of the event by Amber Light Photography and our April, 2013 Newsletter with lots more info 🙂
2012 – “Celebrating 40 Years of Recycling”
Celebrate Earth Day 2012 took place on Saturday, April 21, 2012 and celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Ridge Meadows Recycling!
A huge THANK YOU!! to Amber Light Photography for capturing some stunning photos of the event! We looked forward to the big party in our RMRS Spring, 2012 Newsletter
Pre-2012…
Earth Day has been celebrated in Maple Ridge since it started in 1970! Here are some photos & posters from earlier Earth Days. Thank you to all individuals and organizations that have helped us celebrate Earth Day in Maple Ridge!
Our Vision: To celebrate and embrace the Earth’s past, present, and future by engaging people in Nature & the Outdoors, Family & Community, and Green Innovation & Technology through business, info, arts, activities, and entertainment.
Our Mission: The Mission of the Celebrate Earth Day Organizing Committee is to celebrate and promote environmental groups, interactive programs, initiatives, issues, and ideas in the communities of Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows-Katzie First Nation through an annual participatory event on or around April 22.