Celebrate Earth Day at a Community Cleanup

Volunteers at a past cleanup event hosted by the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council. Courtesy of the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council

Editor’s note: This article has been updated from an original version which published in April 2022.

Earth Day is here, and that means it’s time to grab your gardening gloves and litter pickers and head outside to grab some trash.

Not alone, of course. Every year, organizations around Rhode Island coordinate community cleanups to mark Earth Day, which is being celebrated on Wednesday, April 22. Though cleanups also take place throughout the warmer months, Earth Day offers a special opportunity for new volunteers to get involved.

“In addition to just the environmental significance of these Earth Day events and these other activities, we also need people to come out and be a part of what we’re doing,” says Yvonne Wingard, former communications manager for the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, one of several organizations hosting cleanup events this weekend.

The WRWC was founded in the 1990s to help enhance lower-income areas of Providence by transforming the Woonasquatucket River that ran through them. Today, the organization helps maintain green space throughout the river’s watershed.

“It’s just as important that we maintain those spaces, and so keeping what we’ve built beautiful is very important, and that’s also why we need help from folks,” Wingard adds.

As part of its Earth Month Event Series, the WRWC will host a cleanup and celebration on Saturday, April 25, along the Woonasquatucket River Greenway in Johnston. The cleanup will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include trash pickup, weeding, mulching and community planting. Supplies will be provided though the council recommends bringing a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated, as well your own (labeled)  gloves or gardening tools if preferred. They also plan to host a rain barrel painting workshop (spots limited) where participants will be given a rain barrel to decorate and take home, and will be taught how to use it to install a rainwater collection system. throughout the day, participants can also enjoy community tables, music, games and family-friendly activities, along with pizza (including gluten-free options), fruit, snacks, and light refreshments.

If you want to kick things off earlier in the day, you can also join the council for an Earth Day Bike Ride to the cleanup. The community ride departs from Riverside Park at 9 a.m. and will encompass a 1.7 mile trek along the paved, off-road greenway. It should take approximately fifteen minutes each way. Riders who wish to return together will gather at 2:15 p.m. at the event site and bike back to Riverside Park. Participants should bring their own bike and a helmet (note: helmets are required to participate). If you do not have a bike, you can request a WRWC bike rental through the Eventbrite registration page. Bike and helmet rentals are limited and must be requested by Wednesday, April 15.

Other organizations are hosting events over the weekend or later in the month. Wingard recommends checking the WRWC website (or your local organization’s website) to learn about events happening later in the year.

“Our Earth Day events are not the only way to get involved. If you can’t, or maybe you hear about us too late, we’ve got all kinds of things happening throughout the year,” she says.

Here are some cleanups and other Earth Day celebrations happening locally over the next couple weeks.

North Burial Ground Earth Day, Providence

Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 3 p.m.  Head to the North Burial Grounds to participate in its annual day of cleaning up trash, removing invasive species and combatting pesky plants. Afterwards, head to the Rochambeau Gate to join the RI Historical Cemeteries Week Data Collection! Learn more here.

Gateway Cleanup, Providence

Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Help keep the Roger Williams Park Gateway Center clean. Individual tasks will be assigned based on experience and ability level. Pre-registration is preferred here. Learn more here.

Earth Day Celebrations at the Museum of Natural History and Planetarium, Providence

Saturday, April 18–Friday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Explore a variety of family-friendly, hands-on activities related to our local and global ecosystems, as well as a daily “our place in space” planetarium show. On Thursday, April 23, the museum will host “City Nature Challenge Presentation: Bringing the world together for biodiversity.” During this presentation, attendees will learn how to use iNaturalist and how to participate in the City Nature Challenge, an annual international event which challenges participants to collaboratively record as many wildlife observations as possible over the course of four days.  Museum admission is $2. Learn more here.

Party for the Planet at Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence 

Downtown Providence Earth Day Cleanup, Providence

Wednesday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hosted by the Providence Downtown Neighborhood Association. Highlights from this daylong event include bulb and tree plantings, trash removal across the district and community building. Learn more here.

Earth Day with India Point Planting Project

Wednesday, April 22, from noon to 6 p.m. Help plant sunflowers and blanket flowers on a plot of land adjacent to the playground in India Point Park, and learn about this park’s history and native flora. Learn more here.

Blackstone Parks Shoreline Cleanup, Providence 

Thursday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m. Work with the Blackstone Parks Conservancy and Save the Bay to rid Blackstone Parks’ shoreline of trash. Participants are asked to bring their own water to keep hydrated, as well as garden or work gloves and sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Pre-registration is required here. Learn more here.

Save the Bay Cleanup at Roger Williams Park, Providence

Friday, April 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. Join the Roger Williams Park Conservancy and Save the Bay in cleaning up the park’s softball fields. Participants are asked to bring their own water to keep hydrated, as well as garden or work gloves and sturdy, closed-toe shoes. Pre-registration is required here. This event is part of a monthly cleanup partnership between the two organizations, so if you can’t make this one, there are more opportunities to get involved. Learn more here.

Earth Day at Ninigret Park, Charlestown

WBNA’S 43rd Annual Neighborhood Cleanup and Earth Day Celebration, Providence

Saturday, April 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Join the West Broadway Neighborhood Association in keeping downtown Providence clean. No need to bring cleaning supplies as the association will provide bags, gloves and shovels. Starting at 8:30 a.m., participants can enjoy free coffee, fruit, and pastries at WBNA headquarters on Westminster Street before heading over to the cleanup area. Afterwards, everyone is invited back to the headquarters for a free community BBQ. Learn more here.

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