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In case you didn’t know: Saturday, April 22 is Earth Day! Check out some things to do around the District.
Seed Swap Celebration at The Well
April 22, 1 to 4 p.m. at The Well at Oxon Run (300 Valley Ave SE)
The Informer is partnering with SWAP DC, SeedEd Farm, The Green Scheme and Friends of Oxon Run for an Earth Day event at The Well at Oxon Run. The Well is an urban farm in Congress Heights and a community space featuring numerous installations created by local artists. Come check it out and join the festivities, which will include a special seed swap and a book drive to fill shelves that currently sit empty at the farm. Bring books, seeds or just a good attitude! We’d love to see you.
Anacostia Watershed Society’s Earth Day Cleanup
April 22 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., various locations
The Anacostia Watershed Society’s annual event has become so popular that more than five of the event’s 28 total cleanup sites reached capacity nearly a week early. Still, that leaves plenty more spots around the District and Maryland where participants can celebrate Earth Day by giving back and cleaning up. The sites all fall within the Anacostia River’s watershed, and volunteers will help keep the river clean by picking up plastic and other trash. Other organizations, including Ward 8 Woods and Casey Trees, have partnered up with Anacostia Watershed Society to run various cleanup sites.
All tools and supplies needed will be provided during check in, and kids are welcome.
Participants can learn more and sign up for a specific site at earthday.anacostiaws.org/earthday2023. (Registration may be required for participation at some sites.)
D.C. Environmental Film Festival’s Free Screenings
April 18-April 23, online
For those who want to celebrate Earth Day without getting their hands dirty, this opportunity may be just the ticket. Even better—that ticket is free. The D.C. Environmental Film Festival is offering more than 50 films at no cost on their website through Sunday night. The “Earth Day Encore” collection includes a mix of shorts and feature-length films shown at the week-long in-person festival held late last month.
A couple notable titles on the list: Among a six-film package of shorts, viewers can find Lawrence Green’s “Trashman,” which focuses on trash pollution in his Ward 8 neighborhood. One feature-length documentary, “After Sherman,” is among a small handful of films made available only to viewers in the D.C. area. It weaves together accounts from the filmmaker’s hometown in the Black Belt to explore the story of legacy within the context of Black history.
Check out one or two (or 50) films at watch.eventive.org/dceff.
“End the Era of Fossil Fuels” Climate Justice Action
April 22 from 12 to 5 p.m., Freedom Plaza
A coalition of more than 30 environmental and climate justice groups have created a packed Earth Day schedule, beginning with a rally and a concert at Freedom Plaza, progressing into a march to the White House and finally ending with an organizing fair. The protest action will push for an end to unfettered fossil fuel burning, which causes dangerous climate change and pollutes vulnerable communities. The event also emphasizes the interconnectedness of climate and other crises, including housing, immigrant rights and racial equality.
Learn more and RSVP at earthdaydc.org.
“Honor Earth” Celebration at the Anacostia Community Museum
April 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Anacostia Community Museum (1901 Fort Pl SE)
Come for the free local food and beverage samples—stay for the schedule of new learning opportunities. This day-long family-friendly celebration at the museum (which remains partly closed through May 18) has something for everyone, including a “Chalk Walk” exploring the Anacostia Watershed with sidewalk chalk art; workshops about urban gardening; and panel discussions featuring Black and brown farmers.
Saturday will also mark the opening weekend of the FRESHFARM ACM Farm Stand, the first direct-to-consumer farm stand of its kind in Ward 8, and the launch of a new Center for Environmental Justice at the museum.
For more information or to register, head to anacostia.si.edu/earthday.
City Ridge Earth Day Weekend Festival
April 22 and 23 from 1 to 6 p.m., 20 Ridge Square NW
This free family-friendly festival has a bit of everything, from face painting and food trucks to music and markets. Local vendors will offer a wide array of handmade and vintage items, including ceramics, candles, clothing, jewelry and art among other things (Mother’s Day gifts, anyone?). Beyond the market, the festival will host some whimsical Earth Day-themed activities like bubble art performances and a pet rock adoption center. More standard goings-on include outdoor fitness classes, a seed library, a reusable grocery bag pickup and terracotta pot decorating.
The two-day event will take place at City Ridge, a shmancy mixed-use development that recently opened off Wisconsin Ave NW.