Image credit: Maaike Bernstrom Photography @maaikephoto

By Aquidneck Island Earth Week Committee

Thursday, April 22, 2021 marks a worldwide celebration known as Earth Day. The Aquidneck Island Earth Week Committee is proud to announce plans for the second annual “Aquidneck Island Earth Week”, a community-wide celebration that will take place during the week starting on April 17 through April 25.

Last April, the Aquidneck Island Earth Week (AIEW) partners pivoted to virtual/at-home events to comply with Rhode Island’s stay at home orders as a result of the pandemic. Despite the shift in plans, the 2020 celebration engaged over 600 people in at-home activities and virtual events. Such events included a virtual film screening, socially-distanced clean-ups and an online showcase of local student’s environmental projects. An online version of Earth Week Bingo resulted in students performing more than 500 environmental actions including composting and eating plant-based meals.

Building on this success and incorporating the latest guidance on public safety, organizations are making plans for another week of programming this April 17-25th. Town committees, non-profits, schools, and local businesses are coming together to plan a week-long celebration of environmental action, conservation, and sustainability across Aquidneck Island. A key theme of this year’s event will be climate resilience. 

The public is invited to participate in a variety of programs that support a healthier and more resilient Aquidneck Island. Events will include cleanups, public lectures, workshops, seedling sales, films, school programs, and nature  walks. A Calendar of Events will be released on April 1. By coming together to offer a full week of programming, partners hope to amplify each other’s efforts, increase engagement around environmental issues and serve as an example for other communities. 

The Aquidneck Island Earth Week Committee formed in 2019 and is working in collaboration with environmental organizations, schools and committees across the Island. Partners include Clean Ocean Access, Norman Bird Sanctuary, Aquidneck Land Trust, Bike Newport, Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District, Portsmouth Green Team, Newport Film, Aquidneck Community Table and Middletown’s Open Space & Fields Committee and Tree Commission. Additionally, Council members from Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth have passed resolutions to support Earth Week initiatives and unify efforts across the Island. 

Aquidneck Island Earth Week is an invitation to the entire community to  celebrate  environmental protection, sustainability and the conservation of our natural resources. 

Interested in becoming an Aquidneck Island Earth Week partner? Please email sara.poirier@gmail.com for more information. Stay tuned for upcoming events and be sure to follow the Aquidneck Island Earth Week on Facebook and Instagram by searching the handle @AquidneckIslandEarthWeek.

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