Celebrate Earth Day – April 21st and 22nd
In this Bulletin:
Rock Harbor Cleanup
Arts for the Earth for Orleans Conservation Trust
Love Thy Nature with Association for the Preservation of Cape Cod
W.H.A.T.’s Wrong with Plastic Straws?
Cape Cod Canal Cleanup
Actions to Take on Your Own
Divide in Concord – a Film at Snow Library on Plastic Bottles
Town Meeting Reminder
April 22 marks our nation’s 48th Earth Day, proclaiming a national theme to “End Plastic Pollution.” In a year when national environmental progress seems like ancient history, we are pleased to report that our part of the Cape offers a diversity of Earth Day activities from films to walks to cleanups, several taking on the problems of plastic. Check out the official Earth Day website for an enlightening reminder of Earth Day’s origins in 1970 when 20 million Americans took to the streets. Among the results were the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act.
Rock Harbor Cleanup
Here in Orleans, Friends of Rock Harbor’s annual cleanup will begin at 9 am on Saturday April 21st. They supply gloves and bags. Wear appropriate clothing and meet at Rock Harbor Beach by the boat ramp.
Arts for the Earth
Also in Orleans on April 21st, to benefit the Orleans Conservation Trust, the Addison Art gallery is celebrating Earth Day with Arts for the Earth (Painting, Writing, Singing for Conservation) from 4 to 6 pm with leading local artists, writers, and musicians, at the gallery at 43 Route 28 (South Orleans Road.) Click here for more information.
Love thy Nature
APCC is sponsoring the film “Love Thy Nature” at the Chatham Orpheum Theatre at 10:00 a.m. on April 21st. The café is open for conversation beginning at 9 a.m. The film shows “a renewed connection with nature is key both to our health and the planet’s health.” Filmmaker Sylvie Rokab will be available via Skype for a discussion after the 75 minute film – $15 tickets for purchase through the Chatham Orpheum.
W.H.A.T.’s Wrong with Plastic Straws and Single Use Plastics?
From 1 – 2:30 p.m.on April 21st at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre in Wellfleet, W.H.A.T. and Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary offer a family-friendly program showing the film “Straws” about pollution and wildlife danger from plastic straws and other single use plastic. After the film, a Wellfleet Bay Naturalist will lead a craft activity using recycled materials. Attendees can then join Sanctuary staff to clean up a local beach adjacent to the Wellfleet Sanctuary in honor of Earth Day. Film tickets are $8 and available for purchase or by calling the theatre at 508-349-9428. Click for more information on the film and activity. Click here for more information on the cleanup following the movie.
By the way, check out the Orleans Pond Coalition’s website for information on local and worldwide campaigns to abolish plastic straws and single use plastics.
Cape Cod Canal Cleanup
The Annual Cape Cod Canal Earth Day Cleanup runs from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday April 21st. Participants will collect trash along the canal and help with some small maintenance projects, including gardening and pollinator habitat improvements. Gloves and trash bags will be provided but participants are asked to bring weather-appropriate clothes and a bottle of water. Volunteers enjoy free food and interactive booths. Pre-register at AmeriCorps Cape Cod/Army Corps of Engineers Canal Clean-up 2018. Click here for more information and directions.
Actions to Take on Your Own
If group actions are not your thing, how about this?
Can you go pick up trash from our beloved beaches, ponds, road edges – and take a picture of what you pick up before you discard it properly, and send us the pictures?
Can you agree to give up single use plastics such as straws and water bottles, like the Friends of the Earth goal of Plastic Free Fridays?.
Take up plogging…the hot new 2018 fitness craze.
Can you plant a tree? Consider the trees lost in the storms of this winter, consider those lost to gypsy moths and winter moths and gall wasps over the last few years. Planting a tree is a statement of hope. Trees sequester carbon, they filter thousands of gallons of water, they cool the earth naturally. Our local nurseries will be happy to help you choose the right tree for the right place, and to celebrate Arbor Day on April 27, some local nurseries offer sales on trees.
Order a recycled plastic rain barrel from the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) by April 17th to harvest raindrops and slow down storm-water.
Divide in Concord – a Film at Snow Library on Plastic Bottles
On April 28th, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Snow Library in Orleans, Brewster-based Sustainable Practices is presenting Divide in Concord, “a feature-length documentary that follows the entertaining tale of banning bottled water in small town America.” If the 28th doesn’t work for you, there are seven more showings afterwards, culminating with May 26 at the Wellfleet Library, since the organizers are presenting it in each Cape and Islands town. Click here for more information and a list of all the town showings on the Cape.
Don’t forget! Town Meeting Will Be Monday, May 7th. There are several warrant items of import to keep our waters and lands healthy (Articles 14, 17, 18, 36, 37 and 38.) Our Ponderings newsletter should arrive in your mailbox by the first week of May with full explanations of the six critical articles.
In the spirit of the original Earth Day, can we make 2018 our year to Keep Environmental Momentum Going?