Earth Month Activities in Richmond, Virginia

Earth Day was created 53 years ago to draw attention to the health of our planet. The theme this year Earth Day observances is Invest in Our Planet. 

Earth Day Celebrations around Richmond

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Saturday, April 22, 2023
On Earth Day, the Garden has free admission and the community is invited to visit and reflect on the healing power of Nature. The day honors the memory of Jonah Holland, our Garden colleague who passed away in 2022.  

Science Museum of Virginia

Join us for an activity-packed event exploring sustainability, natural resources and environmental science. We’ll also have the Virginia Section of the American Chemical Society onsite with special hands-on activities as part of Chemists Celebrate Earth Week.

Earth Day activities are included with admission. 

Earth Day Festival

April 22, 2023 at 10:00 am – 1:00 pm

Henrico Recreation & Parks and Keep Henrico Beautiful will host a festival celebrating Earth Day on Saturday April 22nd from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Deep Run Park. 

There will be live music, activities for all ages, and food truck refreshments available for purchase.  Activities include face painting, seed planting, inflatables, and a sensory-friendly activity tent. 

Learn about sustainability initiatives and resources available in Henrico County such as energy efficiency, residential solar, electric vehicles, recycling, preserving green space, air quality, and more.

Tech For Troops will be collecting retired technology and refurbishing it to help veterans in need. A list of equipment they accept can be found at https://techfortroops.org/donations/.

Go green by recycling your old technology to help a veteran.

This event is family-friendly and is free and open to the public.

If you are going to stay home on Earth Day:

• Create Your Own Garden: with resources from the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
• Create a butterfly garden in your own backyard with resources from Maymont
• Go for a walk around your neighborhood and appreciate nature
• Read books that focus on the earth, environmental issues and people who have made a difference. For adults read The Everglades River of Glass by Marjorie Stoneman as well as more contemporary books on water by Cynthia Barnett and others.
• For children Mrs. Rumphius is one of the many books that give simple lessons on how to to make the world a better place.

•Ditch the car and walk, run or ride your bike to and within a park from this Ultimate list of Richmond-area parks

•Enjoy the bodies of water on a craft from this list of: Boat launches and marinas

Virtual appreciation

If you can’t get out on Earth Day. Check out the websites and social media sites of nature centers to appreciate their beauty and better understand the environmental issues there:

•James River Park System

•Virginia State Parks

•Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

•Virginia Institute of Marine Science

•Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center

•National Parks Service – Blue Ridge Parkway

•Support Virginia Environmental Organizations

Appreciate the Earth by eating one of these 20 green foods for Earth Day

Green tomato, broccoli, kale, avocado, limes, asparagus, lettuce, cucumber, chive, artichoke, basil, peas, green apples, grapes, celery, Brussel sprouts, string beans, spinach, frogs legs, Kiwi, chives, pistachio nuts. Which is your favorite?

Jam to tunes that bring attention to the earth, the environment:

Like these Berkley College of Music students’ virtual rendition of What the World Needs Now.

Counting Crows Big Yellow Taxi aka They Paved Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot

Be sure to subscribe to email updates, follow @rvacheap on Twitter or like RVA (Richmond) on the Cheap on Facebook to stay in the know about the latest freebies & deals.

More things to do in and around Richmond:

• The Ultimate List of RVA Parks and Playgrounds
• Richmond’s Public Pools & Splash Pads
• RVA Dog-Friendly Parks
• 12+ Free Things to do in Colonial Williamsburg
• RVA Historic Sites
• Free Art Galleries in RVA
• RVA’s Nearby Ski Resorts
• 50+ Things to Do in Richmond
• Orchards and Berry Farms
• Things to Do: RVA