Celebrate Earth Day the Greater Lowell way

The Lowell Sun

Article Last Updated: 04/14/2008 12:34:21 PM EDT

Lowell National Historical Park, Keep Lowell Beautiful, Lowell Canalwaters Cleaners and the Solid Waste & Recycling Office are calling for volunteers and visitors for the annual spring cleanups and Earth Day events.

Celebrate Earth Day with educational fun on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Keep Lowell Beautiful-Community Gardens Greenhouse overlooking the Northern Canal just off Aiken Street. Rain-barrel distribution, composting and worm-bin demonstrations will be held. E-mail the group at info@communitygardensgreenhouse.org, or call Janice Pokorski at (978) 957-8863.

The Earth Day Canals, Riverwalk and Downtown Cleanup will be Saturday, April 26. Registration is at Middlesex Community College from 8 to 9 a.m.; the cleanup concludes at 1 p.m..

Visit the Youth Environmental Expo at Wannalancit Mill on Saturday, April 26, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., featuring an eco-friendly fashion show, organic agriculture, art, lifestyle tips and more. The event will be in first-floor conference room, 600 Suffolk St. For information, contact Julie Villareal at (978) 934-4772.

Join the Merrimack River Watershed Council for the Merrimack River Shoreline Survey, Saturday, May 3, 8 a.m. to noon. The survey examines the riverbanks by boat searching for trash and other threats to water quality. Attendance at a training session on April 28 is required. Contact Tracie Sales at Merrimack River Watershed Council at (978) 275-0120, ext. 13 for more information.

The Great American Cleanup occurs Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact Mike Demaras at the Division of Neighborhood Services at (978) 446-7243 for information.

Learn about local environmental-education efforts at Earth Fest on Saturday, May 3, from noon to 3 p.m., by the Rogers School on South Common, sponsored by the Greater Lowell Environmental Education Alliance. For more information, call Beverly Perna at (978) 970-5100.

For any of these volunteer activities, you may get more information and sign up by calling the park volunteer office at (978) 275-1740, or e-mail lowell_NHP_Volunteers@nps.gov. For Keep Lowell Beautiful and Lowell Canalwaters Cleaners, call Bill Moreau at (978) 835-5147.

Chelmsford's Recycling Office and the Recycling Committee are hosting an Earth Day Fair on Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. on the Town Common. The event includes music, a puppet show and craft activities for children using recycled materials.

Presentations planned include discussions on reusable shopping bags; composting; a demonstration on the Japanese art of furoshiki (wrapping gifts with fabric).

Bring a picnic lunch, and in the spirit of the day use reusable containers for, cloth napkins, reusable cutlery. Rain location is the gym at the Town Offices.

The fair is being held at the conclusion of the town litter clean up. If you'd like to participate in the clean up, contact the Recycling Office to register (978) 250-5203.

For questions or comments, e-mail Gunther Wellenstein at www.lowellrecycle.org, or call (978) 970-4010, ext. 9-1081.