Earth Weekend Celebration pulls community together for good cause
Cleanups, fun activities, part of the annual celebration happening April 20-21
With the recent solar eclipse, there was much focus and interest on what was happening in the sky.
But later this month in Yarmouth, the spotlight will shine on what is happening at ground level as Earth Day events take place. Community cleanups are a big part of the initiative.
On Saturday, April 20, the 2024 Earth Weekend Celebration takes place at the Mariners Centre’s Anthony Pavilion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The entry fee to this event is one bag of collected roadside trash or ocean debris, which can be collected that day or in advance of the event – and can be an organized event or one people do on their own.
Aside from the cleanups, the April 20 event consists of a free BBQ (from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), bouncy castles, games, and a trash art contest.
For the cleanups, people can sign in at the pavilion at any time during the event. Grabbers and buckets will be provided for the cleanups if needed. Adult supervision for children is required during the cleanups
There are also organized community cleanups happening on Sunday, April 21. This includes a Hardscratch Road cleanup from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. (Meeting spot is at Bailey’s Lick A Treat.) A cleanup of False Harbour and John’s Cove beaches, in Cape Forchu, is planned from 1-4 p.m. The meeting spot is in the John’s Cove beach parking area. Bags and gloves will be provided.
The Earth Weekend Celebration is an annual event. In previous years it’s been well received with strong participation. In 2022, for instance, there were over 150 cleanups carried out. These were conducted by individuals, families, and community groups.
Around 2,000 flyers were distributed to elementary school students in Yarmouth County, which encouraged families to take part in their own cleanups in their communities and/or to take part in the organized activities at the Mariners Centre.
“Most families arrived with trash in hand,” said Yarmouth municipal councillor Nick Hilton, who is one of the organizers of this Earth Weekend event. “Last year organizers weighed and tracked the location of the cleanups on the town and county maps. As a community in 2023 we collected over 15,243 pounds of litter and beach debris throughout the week. Truly amazing work.”
Last year Angela Riley from Scotian Shores also made presentations at Maple Grove and Yarmouth Elementary schools. Both Schools participated in a school cleanup. Maple Grove, for instance, picked up over 1000 pounds of litter.
Scotian Shores itself has made a huge dent in cleaning up ocean and beach debris from shorelines, recently surpassing the 100,000-pound mark.
In this Q&A, Nick Hilton talks more about this year’s event and the success of last year’s efforts.
Q: How pleased are you, as organizers, with how well this event has been received?
A: As we prepare for our 2024 event we are looking to build on previous success. We couldn’t be happier with the turnout last year, or the first two Yarmouth Earth Weekend cleanups. The community is showing they care about where we live. Approximately 500 people attended the 2023 activities and cleanups over the weekend.
Q: What community feedback did you receive last year?
A: Lots of positive comments. The community was happy that we are tackling an issue like litter in such a positive way. The event promoted the importance of a healthy community and that good deeds can be rewarding.
Q: What were some of the more common types of litter collected?
A: In the community cleanups it was fast food containers and coffee cups. During beach cleanups, it was fishing gear.
Q: What was your favorite part of last year’s event?
A: Saturday’s event at Mariners Centre must be the highlight of the weekend. We heard from parents that kids were excited to participate in the cleanups. They had been talking about it all week at school and at home.
“We are working on a campaign focused on those who feel it’s okay to ditch their litter in the first place. We must do better.”
Nick Hilton
Q: Are there any changes to this year’s event?
A: We are hoping for an even bigger turnout this year. Kids will again bring home a flyer advertising the event the week prior to. Our goal is we enforce the mindset that littering is not okay.
We are working on a campaign focused on those who feel it’s okay to ditch their litter in the first place. We must do better. It’s time for a culture change. Not only is this an environmental, issue, but it’s a safety issue.
It’s great that we can hold an event like this to celebrate Earth Day, but having to ask kids and families to clean the sides of our roads and highways is dangerous. It’s important that if you choose to clean on your own you do so with adult supervision.
Also, this event is not possible without local sponsorship. Local business is the backbone of our community and we thank them for their support. All three local municipalities have donated to the event.