Depending on whom you ask, Earth Day is something to be celebrated yearly, for a month, a week, a day or an hour. April 22 officially marks Earth Day annually across the globe and this year theres lots going on across the city on various dates.
Stanley Park
Join NDP MLA for Vancouver-West End Spencer Herbert and the Stanley Park Ecology Centre April 22 for an enjoyable afternoon of habitat restoration at Stanley Park. Be prepared for the weatherand to get dirtyhelping rid the park of the invasive plants that have created problems for native species. And please bring a friend. Volunteers of all ages can meet at the Pavilion in Stanley Park, 610 Pipeline Rd., at 1 p.m. The event runs until 3:30 p.m.
Commercial Drive
And the winner for sending out the most email reminders about a single event goes to Youth For Climate Justice Now. If this is an example of the determination of youth today, get ready for them to take over the world. And that might be a good thing considering their concern for the environment. Y4CJN has organized an Earth Day Parade and Festival for Sunday, April 22 that begins at 11 a.m. under the SkyTrain at Grandview Highway and Commercial Drive just north of Commercial-Broadway station. The parade route then winds its way to Grandview Park for a celebration including funky live music, a family tent, the Queen of Green student art competition, hands-on activities and special guest speakers.
Champlain Heights
This annual Earth Day event takes place next weekend at Everett Crowley Park and is always popular. Earth Day volunteers will plant 1,500 native trees and shrubs at the park during the event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The park was once the Kerr Road Dump, but after years of hard work by volunteers in cooperation with the park board and city its been reclaimed as green space, which in itself is something to celebrate. Gates open at 10:30 a.m. April 30, rain or shine. The entrance to the park is off Kerr Street near East 64th Avenue.
VanDusen Botanical Garden
This item is more about the earth than Earth Day, but its still a fitting event for a fun-filled, green-themed weekend. The Point Grey Chrysanthemum Association is hosting its annual rooted cuttings sale at VanDusen Botanical Garden, located off Oak Street at West 37th Avenue. The club is trying to attract new members, so memberships are half price and everyone who joins will receive a free chrysanthemum cutting. The sale takes place in the Cedar Room at VanDusen, Saturday April 21, from 9 a.m. to noon.
UBC Museum of Anthropology
The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»school board and UBC Museum of Anthropology are co-hosting a First Peoples Festival next week.
The festival is a two-day event featuring student workshops, activities and performances from a variety of First Nation artists and educators. While April 23 is a day of activities for secondary students, April 24 is programmed for elementary school kids. The hope is both aboriginal and non-aboriginal students will take part. The event runs April 23 and 24 at the museum, 6393 Northwest Marine Dr. For more information, visit vancouveryouth.ca.
Downtown
Seva Canada is marking its 30th anniversary with Beyond Darkness, a photography exhibition by documentary humanitarian photographer and optometrist Larry Louie. Many of the award-winning images included in the exhibit were taken in Bangladesh, Mali, China, Tibet, Nepal and Tanzania. Louie uses his photography as a platform to highlight the work of Seva Canada and its partners. Seva Canada is a charity that works internationally to restore sight and prevent blindness in developing countries. The exhibit runs April 23 to May 12 at the HSBC Pendulum Gallery, 885 West Georgia St. A reception takes place April 26 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Twitter: @sthomas10
