A surprise coating of snow did not deter members of HeightsNEXT from cleaning up trash along Central and University avenues and in Columbia Heights parks on Saturday, April 20. They were joined by two busloads of students from Anoka-Ramsey Community College, local Girl Scouts, volunteers from First Lutheran Church and the Heights Lions Club.
In Minneapolis, hundreds of volunteers descended on 44 parks on for the 30th Earth Day Cleanup, the largest annual community service project in the city. The event was part of the nationwide observance of the 55th Earth Day on April 22. The official theme for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.”
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) provided bags and gloves at all Earth Day sites, and the City’s Solid Waste and Recycling workers made sure that all collected materials get proper disposal. Since 2008, volunteers have removed more than 165,000 lbs. of garbage from city parks during Earth Day events.
At Beltrami Park on a cool Saturday morning, volunteers from a Target Distribution Center joined Lower Northeast Neighborhood Association (LNENA) board members to clean up a park that, one volunteer observed, was “in pretty good shape already.” Ideal Diner donated breakfast sandwiches, and Dogwood donated the coffee.
The Nicollet Island East Bank Neighborhood hosted its annual Earth Day cleanup at three locations.
Volunteers could choose to work at Chute Square Park, Father Hennepin Bluffs Park and Nicollet Island Trails. At the Father Hennepin site, there was a group participating in invasive plant removal.
“I like Earth Day because we have these conversations and this opportunity to spread more awareness and build better communities in the neighborhood,” Cordelia Pierson, former commissioner and vice chair, Minnesota Mississippi River Parkway Commission, told volunteers.
At Boom Island, the ninth annual Earth Day 5K Bee Run/Walk/River Cleanup included runs for children, adults and river cleanup. The event was cosponsored by MPRB, the Green River Coalition, the National Park Service and Mill City Running/Saint City Running.