This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Patch Picks: Earth Day

A choice of activities to commemorate Earth Day.

Patch is running a weekly feature called Patch Picks, highlighting five choice local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, and more, hand-harvested by either us or you, the reader! You’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends, and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids’ party places, parks and more.

This week the theme is Celebrate Earth Day 2011: A Billion Acts of Green with events around the state:

Earth Day Spring Fling at in Storrs
Celebrate on Thursday with Earth Day Spring Fling, an annual celebration of sustainability with live music, organic local food, eco-friendly vendors, green companies and student groups. Sponsored by the Office of Environmental Police and Dining Services Local Routes Program, the event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fairfield Way, University of Connecticut in Storrs.

Earth Jubilee at Avery Point
University of Connecticut at Avery Point also hosts an Earth Day celebration on Thursday. Activities will include making seed bombs, and aquatic critter touching by the student group EcoHusky. There also will be earth-friendly giveaways and guests from the state Department of Environmental Protection, Groton Open Space, Fair Trade and Heifer International. The free celebration is from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Avery Point campus in Groton.

Learn more about recycling at the Trash Museum
Visit the CRRA Trash Museum, at 211 Murphy Road in Hartford’s South Meadows, and learn about the history of trash disposal. A tour of the museum includes learning about recycling, landfills, trash-to-energy, and conservation. The Trash Museum is open Wednesday through Friday from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 860-757-7765.

Pratt Nature Center celebrates Earth Day
On Saturday, check out the Pratt Nature Center Earth Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with reptile presentations, interactive sculpture, gardening, composing, nature and history walks. The free community event is sponsored by the nature center, the Connecticut Community Foundation and the Union Savings Bank Foundation. The Pratt Nature Center is at 163 Papermill Road, New Milford.

Explore ways to enjoy the outdoors at an Outdoor Gear Expo
Check out the Connecticut Forest & Park Association Outdoor Gear Expo on Saturday, April 30, at Wesleyan University, Fayerweather Beckham Hall in Middletown. Check out clinics about fly fishing, packing your backpack, barefoot running and carving a walking stick. There will be exhibit booths from outdoor retailers including REI, Eastern MT Sports, and North Cove Outfitters. The event will be from 3-7 p.m. and admission is $5.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?