Here in the Shenandoah Valley, Earth Day is an opportunity to celebrate our rich soil, healthy forests, clean water and rural working lands, all of which are reasons we love to live, work and play in this iconic landscape.
And gracious, have our partners stepped up – there’s a stellar region-wide lineup of ways you can choose to spend a beautiful spring weekend in the Valley. Here are just a few we know about:
First, you can kick off by participating in Harrisonburg and Rockingham’s Great Community Give on April 20 – the Alliance and many other area nonprofits are participating with the goal of raising a collective 1.8 million dollars for local causes. $1.8 million!! Let’s do it!
If you’re near the North Fork, you can pitch in to Shenandoah Riverkeeper‘s Trash-Free Shenandoah effort by joining Friends of the North Fork of the Shenandoah River’s cleanup days at various locations from Broadway to Front Royal April 22 – 24. More info on their event page here.
It’s hard not to be captivated by the redbuds in full bloom at this time of year, so celebrate their beauty at a Redbud Festival in Dayton in Rockingham County (10am-4pm | event info) or in Browntown in Warren County (9am-3pm | event info) on Saturday April 23. Chris Anderson will be representing the Alliance in Browntown to talk about some upcoming community planning sessions, so if you’re around, please stop by and say hi!
In Staunton on April 23 from 11am-4pm at the Moore Farm on Bells Lane is Earth Day and the annual Kites and Critters event. Our partners Valley Conservation Council and Friends of the Middle River are joining forces with other nonprofits to present a great lineup of vendors, food, and demonstrations from the Wildlife Center of Virginia, the Headwaters Soil and Water Conservation District and their Underground Classroom (right), and many more. More info here.
If you’re in the northern Valley, the town of Front Royal has a similar event planned on Saturday from 10am-3pm followed by an Arbor Day tree-planting at 3:30pm. Several volunteers will be representing the Shenandoah Rail Trail at this event, so stop by and share your thoughts about the proposed trail from Broadway to Front Royal. More info about Front Royal’s event here.
And if this weekend is no good for you, you can head to Waynesboro next weekend for the return of Riverfest at Constitution Park on April 30, 10am-4:30 pm. Or book a group cleanup of Blacks Run through Harrisonburg anytime that suits.