Queens is getting a head start! Earth Day is on Tuesday, April 22, but the borough is already celebrating via pro-nature volunteerism, advocacy, creativity, and honey giveaways.
Here’s a chronological list of local activities.
April 19
Earth Month Convergence + Dandelions Assembly, times vary
On two separate days, this fourth annual Earth Month Convergence provides a space to build, strategize, and care for one another and the earth with organizers, educators, artists, and healers. Schedule: April 19, from noon to 4 pm; and April 26, noon to 7 pm. Socrates Sculpture Park, 32-01 Vernon Blvd., Long Island City.
Bloom & Hop: An Earth Day & Easter Celebration, 1 pm to 3 pm
This family-friendly event blends creativity, music, and sustainability with the interactive, bilingual group Musiquita (1:30 pm to 2:30 pm). Art Retail Therapy runs eco-friendly crafts, too. Free, from 1 pm to 3 pm. Queens Place Mall, 88-01 Queens Blvd., Elmhurst.
April 22
Bee-A-Polinator Earth Day Service Day, noon to 4 pm.
A volunteer service day that might include mulching, rock removal, cleaning, and path maintenance. Additional activities include the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle book swap, the Eco Scavenger Hunt, and the Con Edison Reading Room. Free, but pre-registration is required. Walk-ins are welcome if capacity permits. Queens County Farm Museum, 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Floral Park.
Bee Kind to Our Planet, 5 pm to 7 pm
Skyview has beehives, and employees will offer mall-harvest honey to the community for free. During a special Beekeeping 101 session on Level 4, guests will learn the basics of beekeeping and the importance of bees to ecosystems. There will also be a live “Earth’s Melody” musical performance inspired by nature’s beauty, a beeswax candle workshop, sampling of the center’s honey products, and a number of fun-filled raffles and giveaways for eco-friendly prizes. There will also be a t-shirt revamp bar where guests can give old t-shirts formerly purchased from Skyview retailers a new look. Participants in this craft activity can choose between artist-led custom drawings or DIY iron-on patches. Free, but pre-registation is recommended. The Shops at Skyview, Level 4, 40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing.
April 26
Climate Arts Festival, 11 am to 4 pm.
Five hours of activities, entertainment, and food with nature themes. Admission runs from $2 to $6. Queens Botanical Garden, 43-50 Main St., Flushing.
Earth Day
Many environmentalists consider the first Earth Day – in 1970 – to be the informal beginning of the modern day Green Movement. The political impetus dates to a 1969 oil spill off California’s coast that inspired Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson to work with other elected officials and community leaders to organize protests, media campaigns, campus teach-ins, and other public events to bring attention to environmental issues. They chose April 22 because many students are on Spring Break then and have time to participate. Over the past 55 years, it has blossomed into a global event.
Top two photos: Queens County Farm Museum;
bottom photo: Queens Botanical Garden