Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd and there are so many ways you can celebrate this beautiful planet we call home.
When we think about climate change, it can be overwhelming. The United Nations’ latest report says global warming is causing more intense, extreme weather events, impacting people in every region in the world. Woah. Let’s take a moment for Mother Earth.
Charlotte Earth Day Events
Doing good can be more fun as a group! Grab a friend or gather the family and check out these organized Earth Day events happening around Charlotte.
Saturday, April 15, 2023
Charlotte Earth Day celebration at First Ward Park
- 10am-3pm
- 301 E. 7th Street, Charlotte
- OMIMEO Mime Theatre presents this event for Charlotte Shout!
- It’s a celebration of the beauty and diversity of the ecosystems that sustain Earth.
- There will be performers, exhibitions, food trucks and learning.
Friday, April 21, 2023
Ballantyne Earth Day Electronics Recycling Drive
- 8am – noon
- 15801 Brixham Hill Avenue, Charlotte
- Grab your old desktop, keyboard, tablet, monitor, iPods, mobile phones and more and bring them to this recycling drive. Click here for Goodwill’s electronics donation guidelines. You can also get one box of documents shredded for free!
Saturday, April 22, 2023
- 10am – 1pm
- 129 New Bern Street, Charlotte
- Hop on the light rail to the New Bern Station and help beautify the Rail Trail. This is a family and pet friendly event. Keep Charlotte Beautiful will have all the supplies you need. After, The Union will host a volunteer appreciation event starting at noon with one free drink (for volunteers 21+) and raffle prizes.
Registration is free and encouraged, but not required.
- 10am – noon
- 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte (Hindu Center of Charlotte)
- Sustain Charlotte is hosting a greenway walk and stream clean along the Campbell Creek Greenway in east Charlotte. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Stormwater Services is providing all the tools you’ll need (gloves, trash bags, litter pickers and hip waders).
- Supplies are limited, so bring your own gloves and litter pickers if you have them!
- Don’t forget to bring water to stay hydrated.
- Register for free on Eventbrite.
Every little bit helps
It’s great that communities and world leaders are addressing the issue, but what can we do in our daily lives to make a difference? If we all make just a few little changes to our normal routines, it could have a big impact on our Earth! Here are eight things to try:
- Choose cleaning products that are biodegradable
- Plant wildflowers and plants native to North Carolina
- Give your car a break and take public transportation for a day (or bike/walk)
- Turn off the tap! In between every tooth brushing slurp, in between rinsing off every dish, and don’t let the shower “warm up” for longer than necessary
- Go meat-free for a day
- Bring your own bags to stores (having a ton of reusable bags is a great start, now if we could just remember to bring them to the grocery store, the mall and every store in between!)
- Grab a pair of gloves and a trash bag and pick up litter around your neighborhood
- Recycle your old electronics (see Ballantyne event)
The theme for Earth Day 2023 is “Invest in our Planet”, to highlight the importance of dedicating our time, resources and energy to solving climate change. Check out earthday.org to learn more about protecting our planet.