Love your Mother Earth. Join Essex County Greenbelt in April for a month’s worth of activities and volunteer opportunities celebrating our planet including nature walks, community clean-ups, and a workshop on green landscaping practices. Meet your neighbors, learn about how we can green-up Essex County and work together for a sustainable future. Reserve your spot today and join us in raising awareness about environmental issues like sea level rise and encouraging people to adopt sustainable practices in their every day lives. Fun for all ages and abilities, and it’s free.
On Sunday April 7 grab your binoculars and go urban birding in Lawrence with Ben Padilla from Groundwork Lawrence and photographer/naturalist Craig Gibson. Learn about falcons and songbirds living in urban environments. Or grab your boots and explore the mysteries of vernal pools in Gloucester with the Cape Ann Vernal Pool Team. On April 14 learn how to put nature to work in your yard at our Greenscaping workshop at the Cox Reservation. Barbara Warren from the North Shore Greenscapes Coalition will share green landscaping techniques, Curt Dragon of Earth Landscape will offer tips on composting, test your garden soil for pH, and plant a butterfly garden. On April 21 celebrate Earth Day with Dr. Anne Giblin and learn about sea level change in Plum Island Sound. After the talk help us keep our waterways clean by collecting debris at our Batchelder’s Landing property and the surrounding salt marsh. On April 28 walk the Cox Reservation with Forester Mike Simmons and learn how to recognize trees by their bark and buds. Bring your mobile device and practice using the free electronic field guide leafsnap. Finally watch for the date and location of Peeper Night a search for spring frogs as they shake off their winter sleep with the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team. This is a nighttime excursion so bring your flashlight and wear your boots. For more information and to reserve your spot for any of these outings go to www.ecga.org/what_we_do/earth_month, or contact Greenbelt at ecga@ecga.org or 978-768-7241.
