Earth Day activities in the Stark County area

Earth Day is an annual celebration that honors the achievements of the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth's natural resources for future generations. The first Earth Day was held April 22, 1970. For more information about Earth Day, visit earthday.org.

Here are some events planned in and around Stark County to celebrate:

North Canton Public Library

The North Canton Public Library, 185 N. Main St., will hold an Earth Day Recycle Fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. This electronic recycling service is offered free except for CFL bulbs (50 cents each) and tube-style fluorescent bulbs (25 cents per foot). Tube TVs and monitors will not be accepted.

Goodwill will have a collection truck on site to take almost anything that’s in useful condition. Goodwill and eCycle collections will take place in the Ream Street-facing parking lot of the North Canton Primary School.

Paper shredding will be available. Bring up to three boxes of paper per household. This program is sponsored by the city of North Canton. Organically grown plants from Know Your Roots will be for sale behind the library by the lockers.

Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve

Volunteer at Beech Creek Botanical Garden & Nature Preserve, 11929 Beech St. NE, Washington Township, on Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. and then enjoy an Earth Day celebration from 2 to 4 p.m. Volunteer projects may include trail maintenance, garden cleanup, native garden conservation, and picnic-table building. Meet at the Visitor Center, dress for the weather, and bring work gloves. Scout troops and groups are welcome to participate. From 2 to 4 p.m., enjoy a party with activities such as animal encounters, nature bingo and scavenger hunt, crafts such as making a wildflower seed bomb. Decorate yourself with earth-friendly temporary tattoos, break a pinata, enjoy refreshments, or take a chance on winning a raffle basket.

Registration is not required, but is appreciated, especially for groups. Email the volunteer coordinator at volunteers@beechcreekgardens.org or call 330-829-7050 to RSVP. For more information about Earth Day at Beech Creek, visit https://www.beechcreekgardens.org/earth-day-event.

The Wilderness Center

The Wilderness Center, 9877 Alabama Ave. SW, Sugar Creek Township, will be planting 452 trees Saturday as part of its Tree of Life program. The species will include a diverse mix of white pine, oaks, hickories, black gum, hornbeam, dogwoods, hazelnut, spicebush, and elderberry. Volunteers will work in two shifts, 10 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. The plantings will be taking place just north of Sigrist Woods. Meet at the Pioneer Path trailhead (just north of the TWC Interpretive Building on Alabama Avenue). For more information, call 330-359-5235 or email twc@wildernesscenter.org.

Stark Parks trail cleanup

Volunteer for a morning cleanup Saturday starting at 9 a.m. A representative from Stark Parks will provide instructions, gloves, and trash bags for volunteers. Volunteers should wear comfortable shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants. To sign up to volunteer for the cleanup on Iron Horse Trail (north side of trail, 1141 W. Beech St., in Alliance), visit the shortened link at https://tinyurl.com/yz4sajmw. No additional volunteers are needed for the cleanup at Esmont Park.

StarkFresh

StarkFresh will collect gently used cookware during Earth Week, April 22-26. StarkFresh will accept anything that still has use left in it. (If you are unsure, ask yourself if you would use it in your own kitchen) Do not donate items that would be better suited for the recycling or waste bins. Donated cookware will be cleaned, organized, and available to community members and organizations in need.

Cookware can be dropped off at either StarkFresh Grocery Store location. The Alliance store is at 405 S. Linden Ave. and is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Canton location is at 321 Cherry Ave. NE and is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. StarkFresh is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is tackling the causes of hunger by creating realistic pathways out of poverty. To find out more about StarkFresh and its Neighborhood Grocery Stores, visit www.starkfresh.org/grocery-store.

Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District events

In celebration of Earth Day, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) will hold a series of public events focused on conservation, community engagement and sustainability.

Tree giveaway: MWCD will give away native Ohio trees from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Atwood Lake Park Welcome Center, 9500 Lakeview Road, Mineral City, as well as other MWCD. MWCD will be distributing native trees including red oak, white oak, and white pine. This is a first-come, first-served opportunity, with a limit of one tree per family. Any remaining trees will be donated to Camp Tuscazoar.

Earth Day Cleanup Challenge: MWCD will hold the Earth Day Cleanup Challenge from April 20 through 28. Participants are encouraged to pick up and dispose of any litter they find in the MWCD parks. Adults are invited to participate in this social media activity to win a prize valued at up to $500. Visit Atwood, Leesville, Charles Mill, Clendening, Pleasant Hill, Piedmont, Seneca or Tappan Lake Parks and/or Marinas. Take a picture of a recreational activity and post it on social media, tagging the location (e.g., Atwood Lake Park) and using #MWCDEarthDay2024.

Earth Day Cleanup at the Lake: MWCD will have Earth Day Cleanup at several locations across the district on Saturday; the closest location to Stark County is Atwood Lake. Help by gathering and disposing of trash around the lake. In return, participants will receive a free night of camping.

Tire Takeback Event: MWCD is hosting a Tire Takeback Event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27 at Atwood Lake Park. Reduce the environmental impact of discarded tires by bringing them to MWCD for proper disposal. Willig Tire Recycling will be on site to accept all tires. Tires must be free of debris, and tires on wheels cannot be removed. (Federal law prohibits hauling more than 10 tires without a permit.) MWCD can accept up to 2,500 tires on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information on MWCD’s Earth Day events and Cleanup Challenge Contest, visit www.mwcd.org.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Earth Day activities in the Stark County area