By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland County invites residents to take part in a week of Earth Day initiatives – starting April 18 – as a way to spread awareness of the importance of protecting the environment and taking positive action to clean up the county.

Opportunities include the Mayors Keep The County Clean Challenge, which is back after two COVID-19 springs, offering a friendly inter-municipal challenge in which all participating neighbourhoods come out the cleaner for it.

“Earth Day is a great reminder of our shared responsibility to make a positive impact on the world around us,” Warden Bob Crate said in the announcement.

“This year’s 12th annual Keep the County Clean Challenge is a great opportunity for everyone to do their part in supporting a cleaner and healthier Northumberland – and planet – starting at home. I encourage everyone to sign up for this county-wide initiative to beautify our roadways, parks and public areas and to join in on other Earth Day initiatives taking place throughout the county.”

Activities that are planned include:

· Keep the County Clean Challenge — a week-long litter clean-up event: Individuals and groups are invited to register with their local municipalities to clean up a public area (such as parks and roadsides) during the week of Earth Day, from April 18th and April 23rd.

·The 20-Minute Makeover: On Earth Day (Friday, April 22), individuals are encouraged to spend a few minutes beautifying an area in their neighbourhoods, such as a place of work, a local park, trail or school yard. No registration is required – just grab a bag and some gloves, and go.

· EarlyON Earth Day Family Story Time: Families with young children are invited to join EarlyON Northumberland for a free interactive story time program, featuring a reading of Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre as well as other engaging activities, songs and rhymes. In-person programs will be held at EarlyON locations throughout Northumberland on April 22, or families can join a virtual Facebook Live event on Thursday, April 21 at 7 p.m. by visiting the @NTHLDEarlyONCentres Facebook page. Be sure to follow our Facebook page for additional at-home Earth Day activities featured throughout the week.

To register and to learn more about the Mayors’ Keep the County Clean Challenge, and for more information about Earth Day initiatives, visit Northumberland.ca/EarthDay.