Earth Day falls on Thursday, April 22, 2021. The event was created 51 years ago to draw attention to the health of our planet. The theme this year Earth Day observances is Restore Our Earth. There are fewer events in Richmond this year but there are still a lot of great things you can do for the planet and for your mental health that appreciate and support nature.
Fri. April 23, 2021 – Keep Virginia Beautiful and Retail Merchant’s Association partner to bring you drive thru recycling! See items we are accepting below:
Plastic Bags & Overwraps. Accepting: Grocery bags, bread bags, case overwrap, dry cleaning bags, newspaper sleeves, ice bags, wood pellet bags, ziplock & other re-sealable bags, produce bags, bubble wrap, salt bags, and cereal bags. **All materials must be clean, dry and free of food residue
Proshred Richmond-Accepting: up to three boxes or bags per person of paper documents that need shredding.
Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia-Accepting: clothing, shoes, furniture, domestics (sheets, towels), collectables, jewelry, antiques, books, household (dishes, housewares), working flat-panel televisions, DVDs, CDs, records, tapes, small electronics (radios, clocks, lamps), accessories (handbags, belts, scarves), computers, laptops, printers, monitors, hard drives, motherboards, RAM chips, cases, cables, copiers, plotters, telephone systems, and IT equipment.
TFC Recycling-Accepting: Cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum and steel cans, plastic bottles, tubs and containers (Empty, rinse and replace plastic cap to recycle), food and beverage cartons (empty, rinse, replace the plastic cap to recycle) and glass bottles and jars (no metal lids, please).
GIVING BACK OPPORTUNITIES
Feed More-Make an active and hands-on contribution to ending hunger in Central Virginia by bringing a food donation. Here’s a link to the items that are most needed.
Puritan Cleaners-Puritan Cleaners will be collecting coats (especially kid’s coats). They wash and repair the coats and then deliver them to the Salvation Army for distribution to Central Virginia’s needy families.
Join Henrico County Public Library, Henrico Energy, Keep Henrico Beautiful and Henrico News to celebrate planet earth at three different location across the county. Each site will have giveaways and activities. Electric light bulbHerb https://henrico.us/calendar/earth-day-and-energy-fair-2021/
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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 the nature keeping your social distance
- 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:
•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:
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