Is Earth Day still relevant after 54 years? This question lingers as we reflect on the significance of this environmental movement that has been celebrated since 1970. Despite the passage of time, the essence of Earth Day remains as vital as ever. The global challenges we face today - climate change, forest fires, biodiversity loss, pollution - underscore the ongoing need for heightened awareness and action towards preserving our planet and our local area we call home.
If anything, Earth Day should primarily function as a strong reminder of our close relationship with the environment. It should also prompt us to consider our impact on the planet and encourage us to adopt sustainable practices locally and in our daily lives. As we navigate the complexities of the modern world, it has become increasingly clear that every day should be Earth Day. By fostering a mindset of environmental stewardship and responsibility year-round, we can collectively work towards a healthier and more sustainable future for all living beings on this precious planet we call home.
Even in our own small corner of the world, our actions have consequences, whether good or bad, that impact us and should contribute to a greater good. That said, there are some great events in Durham Region that need your help to keep us going on that path... A lot of people doing good work in our area, and here's your chance to pitch in!
We also have the top things to do in Durham Region this weekend, so let's get it going!
BTW, if you were forwarded this email, you can sign up here and get it sent to you every week... that would really help us out. Thanks!
Local Earth Day Events
Earth Week 2024 Celebrations & Community Clean Ups in Durham Region
Ajax - Saturday, Apr 20 - Rotary Park | 11:00 - 1:00 pm
Spring Clean Up
700 Sandy Beach Road, Pickering
Join Durham Family and Cultural Centre for their 3rd Annual Spring Clean Up. Family event with snacks, refreshments and prizes for volunteers. Bring the kids! Help the earth!
Pickering - Sat, Apr 20 - Alex Robertson Park | 10:00-12:00pm
Take Pride in Pickering Tree Planting
700 Sandy Beach Road, Pickering
Environmental Stewardship Pickering and the Tronto and Region Conservation Authority are planting trees and cleaning up litter along the waterfront. High school students who participate can receive credit for community hours.
Pickering - Monday, Apr 22 - In your neighbourhood | All Day
Litter and Plastics Challenge: Every Piece Counts
Join in enhancing Pickering's appearance by dedicating just 20 minutes to cleaning up litter in the community. Supplies such as bags and gloves will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Secure your spot by registering online.
A couple of years ago, The City of Pickering produced a great video about the environmental, economic and social impacts of plastic and litter in our community and how you can play a big part in the solution.
You can watch it below.
Impact of Plastics On Our Waterways
Whitby - Sat, Apr 20 - Whitby Civic Park | 11:30-3:00 pm
Community Planting Celebration
(behind Whitby Town Hall located at 575 Rossland Rd. E.)
You can Celebrate Earth Day by helping to grow the urban forest in Whitby! Plant native trees and shrubs at this family-friendly event in Whitby Civic Park to give back to nature.
This Community Tree Planting event follows the unveiling of the Town of Whitby's official tree which takes place from 11:30a.m. to 12:30p.m. There will be a celebratory planting of their first official tree and a LEAF-led tree tour. Learn more and join us!
The Planting event will take place from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
They ask that you wear:
-
Closed-toed shoes or boots – no sandals, please! -
Gardening gloves, if you have them (we will have extras) -
Appropriate clothing – the event runs rain or shine
This event will involve walking on unpaved paths and uneven grassy surfaces. For accessibility questions, please contact Sarah Halonen, sarah[at]yourleaf.org
Oshawa - Sat, Apr 27 - Second Marsh | 9:30-11:30
Friends of Second Marsh Earth Day Clean Up
Meeting location and parking will be shared a few days prior to the event date, Oshawa
Come out and help maintain this ecological area in the shape it deserves. Garbage bags and gloves to be supplied
Oshawa - Mon, Apr 22 - Ontario Tech University | 11:00-2:00
This Earth Day they are celebrating Mother Earth by cleaning up garbage on campus!
Students are invited to join the cleanup for a chance to win:
Grocery store gift card
Fairtrade prize pack (chocolate & coffee)
Zero waste prize pack from 360 Eco Market
This event has incentives for your participation:
- Attending the event will grant you one entry
- Attending the event for one hour will grant you one extra entry
- Attending the event for two hours will grant you two extra entries
- Attending the entire duration of the event (three hours) will grant you five extra entries
Event is open to Current Students, Faculty, Staff and Alumni
Sounds like fun!
Clarington - Sat, Apr 20 - Port of Newcastle / Bond Head | 10:00-12:00
If you are in Clarington, here is one to help at. It's to clean up and beautify the Port Of Newcastle, Bond Head and the Samuel Wilmot Nature Areas.
Meet up at the Admiral's Walk Clubhouse for Coffee and Hot Chocolate by 10:00am. BBQ Lunch to follow @ 11:30 for volunteers.
Clarington - Sat, Apr 20 - Second Marsh | 9:00-12:00
Bowmanville Rotary Club & Valleys 2000
Locations:
- Bowmanville Creek south parking lot at Spry Avenue and Baseline Road.
- Bowmanville Creek Dam at Roenigk Drive and King Street West.
- Visual Arts Centre 143 Simpson at the north parking lot by the baseball diamond.
- Concession Street East and Soper Creek Drive.
Barbecue to follow at Spry Avenue parking lot.
This event is part of the Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup initiative, a campaign that engages numerous Rotary clubs from Canada and the U.S. This marks the third consecutive year of collaboration between these two groups for this event.
Port Perry / Scugog - Apr 20 - 22 - Community wide | Daily
Take part in keeping Scugog free from litter by teaming up with your neighbors and friends! When you register your community clean-up with the Township, they will provide garbage bags and gloves (subject to availability) and arrange to collect the garbage you gather after your clean-up.
The Pitch In Week initiative has evolved into a year-long program centered around Earth Day. Volunteers participate in clean-ups organized locally to promote clean and litter-free communities.
Become a part of the solution and support the #WePitchIn movement!
Uxbridge - Sat, Apr 20 - Countryside Preserve & O'Neil Trail | 9:00-12:00
Earth Day Spring Clean-up
Locations: Countryside Preserve and O’Neil Trail
To all participants of the clean-up event at the O’Neil Trail, you are asked to utilize the parking at the Fields of Uxbridge (355 Main St. N.). Volunteers will receive complimentary parking vouchers.
Complimentary garbage bags can be obtained at Town Hall (51 Toronto St. S.) from April 15th to 19th, between 8:30am and 4:00pm. Nonetheless, they strongly encourage volunteers to minimize waste and single-use plastics whenever possible. If you have more eco-friendly options like reusable yard bags, compostable garbage bags, or pails/bins, please make use of them during the clean-up activity.
Once filled, kindly drop off the bags or bins at the Township Parks Yard located at 129 Main St. N., right outside the main entrance gate.
Did You Know:
Geese mate for life, which can be anywhere from 10 to 25 years!
Follow the Town’s New Live Goose Cam & enter "Guess The Hatch Date"
So What's Happening This Weekend?
Let me tell ya...
Friday, Apr 19
Port Perry - Lynn McDonald presents Don Ross and Kent Nishimura at Ascension Church | 6:30 - 9:30 | Tickets $30
One of Canada's best fingerstyle guitarist, Ross's music borrows from blues, jazz, folk and classical music creating a style that he describes as "heavy wood"
Oshawa - MODO-LIVE & Club 90's Presents: Taylor Swift Night | Biltmore Theatre | Starts 10:00pm | Tickets $28
A celebration of Taylor's new album "The Tortured Poets Department." Calling all Swifties!
Saturday, Apr 20
Ajax - BLACK YOUTH EMPOWERED 2024 | Ajax Public Libary | 10:00 - 3:00 pm | Free
Join the Congress of Black Women of Canada, Ajax/Pickering Chapter for an upbeat and exciting Black Youth Empowered Workshop for Black teen boys and girls (Grades 9 to 11), with a focus on financial literacy and positive mindset.
Oshawa - The Bloom Bash - Durham Region Roller Derby's Home Opener | Children's Arena | Starts 3:00 pm | Tickets $15
Get ready to Bash some Blooms with your DRRDy friends! Spring has sprung and it's time to shake off the winter blues at Durham Region Roller Derby's Double Header Home Opener. Sit trackside and watch the fast paced, full contact action on the track. Kids 12 and under free with an adult.
Whitby - Whitby Brass Band Spring Concert - Songs of Stage and Screen | Heydenshore Pavilion | 2:00pm | Tickets $20
This year the theme is songs of stage and screen. Join us for an afternoon of favourite movie and Broadway tunes. Kids 5 and under free with an adult.
Oshawa - Durham Game Night | Royal Canadian Legion #43 | 7:00-11:30 pm | $40
Join us for our Second Durham Game Night Event.
We will have 200 seats available and guarantee a min of 70 people will be selected to participate in a game and have a chance to win. (Depending on number of tickets sold we will honor a 1 in 4 chance to win) Our feature game is our version of ``Minute To Win It``, we will also be playing our version of the following games: Deal or No Deal, The Price Is Right, Let’s make a deal and The Newlywed Game. Players will be randomly picked to play and may be called to play more than one game.
We are celebrating 5 years of Community Plus Durham Charity events and our offering tickets at $15.00 off to celebrate. So you can purchase tickets for this event at our discounted price of $40.00 to help us celebrate and of course try and win some great prizes. $1 and $2 toss games at intermission for great prizes. Light refreshments served at intermission.
Our MC for the evening is DJ SHADES and our game show host is Jarrod Boivin. This event will support local private animal charities and small local businesses in the Durham region.
THIS IS AN ADULT EVENT ONLY- MUST BE 18 OR OLDER.
Oshawa - Gerry Dee 'Funny You Should Say That' | Tribute Communities Centre | 8:00 pm | Tickets $65.50 to $106.75
Host of Family Feud Canada, Gerry Dee has been making audiences laugh for two decades. He is currently starring in the new FOX comedy “Animal Control” alongside Joel McHale. He’s most familiar as the star, co-creator, and show runner for the CBC/Amazon hit sitcom “Mr. D” but it is in stand-up comedy where Gerry Dee first hit his mark. Live on stage performing new material.
Sunday, Apr 21
Whitby - Whitby ComiCon | Heydenshore Pavilion | 10:00 - 3:00 pm | Tickets $5
VENDORS : A variety of vendors will be selling comic books, new & vintage toys, jewelry, DVD's, anime, manga, prints, and a variety of other awesome geek stuff . There will even be some Artists & Authors present with their own art / books and comics. Visit their booths and get some unique items and even some free autographs!!
BUYING ! Some vendors will be buying. Bring your unwanted comic books , toys, video games and anything else you are looking to clear out and go home with some extra cash!!
COSPLAY : Cosplay is always encouraged!
Please bring non-perishable food items for your local community food bank and get entered to win some fun prizes. One raffle ticket will be given for each item.
Ajax - Outrun CF Durham 5K Walk/Run | Rotary Park Pavilion | 12:00 Noon
Please join us for this year's Outrun CF 5K on Sunday, April 21st! Participants will have the option to complete their 5K virtually or as a group.
Please note, last year the venue for the walk was relocated Rotary Park Pavilion in Ajax. Based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received about the venue, we have decided to start the walk there again this year.
Together, we'll continue to push further for longer, healthier lives and brighter futures that all Canadians living with cystic fibrosis deserve. Register or donate today!
For event updates, photos, inspiration & more, follow us on Facebook or Instagram
Pickering - Baisakhi 2024 | Pickering High School | 12:00 - 5:00 pm | Tickets $6
Join Durham Punjabi Cultural Inc. for a spectacular Punjabi Harvest Festival like never before! ✨ Dive into the heart of Punjab at the Largest Harvest Festival Mela in Durham 'Baisakhi 2024!'
⭐ Immerse yourself in the rhythmic beats of the Dhol energetic Bhangra and captivating Gidha performances. 🥁
🎶 Let the music move you with a fusion of live DJ sets and mesmerizing solo acts that showcase the essence of Punjabi culture. 🎵🌟 Witness young talents shine on stage with a Traditional Fashion Show capturing the vibrant colors and spirit of Punjab. Be amazed by our Talent Show featuring the best and brightest from the community. 🌟 Indulge your taste buds at our diverse food vendors offering authentic Punjabi and North Indian cuisine. 🍲
🎪 Explore cultural vendors with unique offerings and enjoy exciting activities including Door Prizes and Raffle draws. Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience!
Durham Baisakhi 2024 - Celebrating Heritage Culture and Community!
“We are the environment and how we treat each other is really how we treat the environment.” ― John Francis
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MiKe D
Publisher