There is no shortage of green activities taking place throughout April 2024.
1. Join the 25th Annual Charles River Clean Up
April 19 – 20, various locations
The Charles River Watershed Association started this annual event in 1999; it brings together more than 3,500 volunteers every year to pick up litter, remove invasive species, and assist with park maintenance along all 80 miles of the Charles River and 1,100 acres of the Emerald Necklace. Register to join the Charles River Conservancy, Charles River Watershed Association, and Emerald Necklace Conservancy for this year’s clean up efforts.
2. Attend an Evening with Soul Fire Farm Founder Leah Penniman
April 26, 6:30 PM, WBUR CitySpace
Leah Penniman is a Black Kreyol farmer, author, mother and food justice activist who serves as founding co-ED and Farm Director for Soul Fire Farm. Soul Fire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm located in Grafton, NY. They are committed to uprooting racism in food systems and lead training programs for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous aspiring growers.
3. Check Out Opportunities for Volunteering with Mass Audubon
April 27, various locations
Spend the morning volunteering and lend a hand on a variety of community clean-up projects. Resurface trails, clean up trash and debris from salt marshes, help with trail maintenance, remove invasive plants, install new trail signage and bridges, trim trees, and more. Once the rakes and gloves get put away, celebrate your accomplishments over snacks and lunch while learning about local plants and wildlife and the importance of habitat restoration. Then hit the trails to explore the other areas of the sanctuary.
4. Bag Seedlings with Speak for the Trees
April 18, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM, The Rocks at Harbor Way
In celebration of Arbor Week, Speak for the Trees will bag 600 seedlings (including Concolor Fir, White Oak, Shagbark Hickory, and Washington Hawthorn) that will be distributed to neighborhoods in Boston. Sign up for a volunteer shift to help bag seedlings.
5. Read from the Earth Month Collection at Brookline Booksmith
Brookline Booksmith is featuring books that aim to deepen your love for the planet, discuss human impacts on the environment, and offer strategies for building a more respectful relationship with planet Earth. This collection includes books for adults and children that cross genres and perspectives — there’s something for everyone!
6. Participate in Love Your Block 2024
Throughout the month of April, Mayor Wu’s office invites residents and local groups to come together to foster community engagement and neighborhood beautification. The City of Boston provides residents with tools and supplies to clean up their streets, parks, and open spaces. Volunteer at a scheduled clean up, or sign up to host your own!
7. Sing Along with “Songs for Earth and Humanity”
April 25, 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM, Club Passim
The Folk Collective is a gathering of artists, musicians, and cultural thought leaders presenting inclusive events at Cambridge’s Club Passim. “Songs for Earth and Humanity” will be a transformative evening of music dedicated to honoring Mother Earth and fostering community through the universal language of music.
8. Tackle Interactive Challenges from Blockbuster Movies at Choose Your Own Disaster II
April 24, 6:30 PM, WBUR CitySpace
Join Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson of Endless Thread for a night of absurdity, fun and discussion of what the movie industry has gotten wrong — and right — about the existential threats of the climate crisis. The audience will have the power to choose which decisions to make to stop a world-ending climate threat inspired by scenes from our favorite disaster films. Along the way, a panel of experts will add their insight to if any of these events could ever happen and, if so, how we can navigate the real future.
9. Plant Seeds with the Public Library of Brookline
April 21, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM, Winthrop Park
Pot flowers and vegetable seeds in recycled containers to take home with you. There will be containers available, but you are also welcome to bring your own plastic, aluminum, or glass container — anything from a yogurt cup to a tomato tin. Fun for the whole family!
