Celebrate Earth Day is on April 22, 2023!!
Each year, Celebrate Earth Day highlights a new theme.
This year, the Celebrate Earth Day Planning Committee is encouraging residents to join the “Flow.” We will see you at Memorial Peace Park from 10am – 2pm on Saturday, April 22, 2023 to kick off festival season in Maple Ridge.
Our 2022 theme, FLOW, looks at the many flows of life that swirl around us, and encourages 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,” says event coordinator Leanne Koehn with Ridge Meadows Recycling Society, “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.
“ARMS is very excited to celebrate our 30th birthday in 2023!” remarks ARMS’ Executive Director, Greta Borick-Cunningham, “Our celebrations will recognize our founders, past directors, members and volunteers in a series of fun activities in the outdoors. The year-long party will launch on Saturday, April 22 at the Earth Day festival and will cap off with ARMS hosting the 30th Annual Ridge Meadows Rivers Day on Sunday, September 24!”
If this will be your first Earth Day, don’t miss these always-popular activities:
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 from 5-7pm on Friday, April 21, the night before Earth Day, in front of the ACT Arts 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!
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 at 1:00pm. 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.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!FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL:
Come hungry! Hunger Management has rounded up food trucks to satisfy your sweet, savoury, and any other hunger needs!
REPAIR CAFE:
Got broken stuff? Bring it to the Maple Ridge 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 and TINKERbell Station will be set up for kids to get hands-on with tools, take stuff apart & learn how it works, build original creations, or just tinker! Want to just come check us out? No problem! Come have a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy the magic of repair.
Visit our Facebook page or www.mrearthday.ca