<p>Celebrate Earth Day with these entertaining and productive events. (Want to add your event to this list? Email editor@shepex.com.)<br /></p> <p><strong>SATURDAY, APRIL 14</strong><br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.urbanecologycenter.org/events.html#april_14\" target=\"_blank\">Earth Poets: An Evening of Celebration and Concern</a><br />Join Earth Poets & Musicians Jahmes Finlayson, Louisa Gallas, Jeff Poniewaz, Suzanne Rosenblatt, Harvey Taylor, Holly Wake, plus special guests musician/dancer/poets Dena Aronson and Michelle Hatfield, for an evening of celebration and concern. Urban Ecology Center, Riverside Park, 1500 E. Park Place. Family hour/open mic (children very welcome), 7 p.m.; concert, 8 p.m. For everyone. Free but donations appreciated. Call to register 964-8505.<br /><br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY, APRIL 20</strong><br /><br /><a href=\"http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityHomepage/documents/EarthDay2012Poster.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">City of Milwaukee Earth Day Celebration</a><br />Live music by Evan Christian, eco stories, local, sustainable food, Rock the Green info. 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Market Street Corridor, next to City Hall. <br /><a href=\"http://www.greatwatersgroup.com\" target=\"_blank\"><br />John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club, Great Waters Group Earth Day Celebration</a><br />The theme will be Parkways and Parklands, focusing on the wetlands and parklands under threat of detention ponds, ATC towers, urban development, etc. and celebrating their resource for natural beauty and recreation. Enjoy a special presentation by area writer, photographer and environmental advocate Eddee Daniel, plus Barb Agnew, the “monarch butterfly lady,” Erin Lee, organizer for Fight Asthma Milwaukee Allies, and Rev. Willie Brisco, president of MICAH. There will also be an eco-puppet pageant, an interfaith opening ceremony, musicians Jahmes Finlayson and Jeff Bray, children\'s dance class of Core/El Centro, poet Suzanne Rosenblatt, author Eric Hansen, children\'s recycle art activities and free 2012 Kids Guide to the Outdoors. Time: 5-7:30 p.m. Place: The Riverview Room at the Muellner Building at Hart Park, 7300 W. Chestnut, Wauwatosa; enter from 70th and State St. <br /><br /><br /><strong>SATURDAY, APRIL 21</strong><br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.kgmb.org/kgmb/index.php?id=9\" target=\"_blank\">Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful Community Cleanup Kickoff</a><br />Help kick off the three-month-long Great American Cleanup with our Community Kick-Off Day.<br />This 2012 Kickoff Site is Jackson Park, 3500 W. Forest Home Ave. (meet at the boathouse). Registration begins at 8:30. Cleanup runs from 9 a.m. to noon.</p> <p><strong>DMZ Garden Group Launch</strong><br />Come to the official launch of the DMZ Garden Group, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Ninth and Ring Street (just north of Burleigh), and ask for a cease fire in the community. The group will sponsor a neighborhood clean up from 8 to 10 a.m. Dennis Biddle, a member of the Negro Baseball League, will be on hand to talk about the history of the neighborhood. All urban farmers and friends are welcome.</p> <p><a href=\"http://www.milwaukeeriverkeeper.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Spring River Cleanup 2012</a><br />The Milwaukee Riverkeeper is hosting river cleanups in 50 sites in our area from 9 a.m. to noon. The group will provide bags, gloves and free t-shirts for volunteers.<br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.urbanecologycenter.org/events.html#april_21\" target=\"_blank\">Earth Day Activities and Events at the Urban Ecology Centers</a><br /><br /></p> <ul> <li>9:00 a.m. Weedout (Riverside Park location): Bring your gardening gloves and work with others to improve biodiversity and eradicate invasive species from our parks.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>9 a.m. River Clean Up By Canoe (Riverside Park location): Meet at Rowing Club Boathouse, 1990 N. Commerce St. Take part in Friends of Milwaukee\'s Rivers annual Spring River Clean Up. We will use canoes to get to sections of the river that are hard to clean up from the shore. It is a fun way to serve the community and the river.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>9:30 a.m. River to Lake Hike (Riverside Park location)</li> </ul> <ul> <li>10 a.m. Weedout (Washington Park location): Bring your gardening gloves and work with others to improve biodiversity and eradicate invasive species from our parks.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>10:30 a.m. Earth Day Festival for Afternoon Nappers (Riverside Park location): For kids 5 and younger accompanied by an adult. Celebrate Earth Day with your younger crew: hike, craft, stories, and fun! Space is limited. Registration required, call 964-8505.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Noon to 4 p.m. Earth Day Festivals (Riverside Park location): 2:30-3 p.m. -- Plant a Chestnut tree with Victory Garden Initiative and take one home 3 p.m. -- Korean Drum Group with Garam Milwaukee. Also, learn about bees and our BeePod, hike, rock climb, make crafts and lots of other fun! Purchase lunch from the Vegan Food Truck or The Gouda Girls (formerly the Chubby Cheese Truck). (Washington Park location): Celebrate nature in our neighborhood with a fun afternoon of hiking, canoeing, music, food, and fun for the whole family! </li> </ul> <p><a href=\"http://wisconsin.bbb.org/shredfest\" target=\"_blank\">Shred Fest</a><br />The public is invited to join millions of others throughout the United States and participate in “ShredFestSecure Your ID Day,” the Better Business Bureau\'s national day of shredding on Saturday, April 21. AnchorBank will partner with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Wisconsin to host ShredFest at their local branch in 18200 W. Capitol Drive, Suite 100, Brookfield from 8:30-11:00 a.m. <br /><strong><br />SUNDAY, APRIL 22</strong><br /><br /><a href=\"http://county.milwaukee.gov/InCelebrationofTrees24982.htm\" target=\"_blank\">In the Celebration of Earth Day</a><br />Join Wehr Nature for the 42nd Earth Day Celebration<br />In Celebration of Earth Day is returning to Wehr Nature Center, Sunday, April 22, noon-4:00 p.m. The celebration this year will focus on sustainability as there will be many recycled crafts like paper making, turning cans into works of art and other “green friendly” activities to celebrate the return of spring. Visitors will be invited to adopt a tree and directions for planning to plant a mini garden, to take home. In addition, you will learn how to mix up an Earth-friendly cleaner. There will be guest organizations and venders on site with information on how to take care of our planet. Be sure to have a seat in the amphitheater at 1 p.m. for Kohl\'s Wild Theater. The place to be is Wehr Nature Center, 9701 W. College Ave. Franklin (414) 425-8550, <a href=\"http://www.countyparks.com\">www.countyparks.com.</a> General admission is $2 per person, $1 per Friends of Wehr member payable at the door. Regular parking fee of $3 per car in effect. For more information go to countyparks.com or call the Wehr Nature Center at (414) 425-8550.</p> <p><a href=\"http://www.milwaukeehabitat.org/pages/view/65\" target=\"_blank\">E-Cycle Your Unwanted Electronics</a><br />Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity ReStore, along with Mayfair Mall, 2500 North Mayfair Road, is hosting an e-recycling drive on Sunday, May 22 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. in the Macy's Northeast Parking lot. Computers, televisions, phones, copy and fax machines, printers, stereo equipment, microwaves, CD/VCR/DVD players and most small electronics can be dropped off during the drive. Items can be functional or non-working.</p> <p><strong>SATURDAY, APRIL 28</strong><br /><br /><a href=\"http://bayviewneighborhood.org/calendar?eventId=466376&amp;EventViewMode=EventDetails%20%20\" target=\"_blank\">Bay View Cleanup</a><br />The Bay View Neighborhood Association will clean up the South Shore and Bay View Park from 9 a.m. to noon. Meet at the South Shore Pavilion or the Humboldt Park Pavilion. The association will supply the garbage bags and gloves, plus coffee and snacks.</p> <p><a href=\"http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day</a><br />The Drug Enforcement Administration is hosting this opportunity to safely dispose of your old, unwanted prescription drugs, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find a location near you. MMSD is hosting a drug collection at Miller Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., but there are other drop-off locations listed on the DEA's website.<br /><br /><br /><strong>FRIDAY, MAY 4</strong><br /><br /><a href=\"http://www.wicleancities.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Ninth Annual Green Vehicles Workshop </a><br />Sponsored by Wisconsin Clean Cities, May 4, 8 a.m.-3 p.m., MATC Downtown Campus</p> <p><strong>VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES</strong><br /><br />Here are opportunities offered by the Volunteer Center of Greater Milwaukee, a service of the Nonprofit Center. Visit <a href=\"http://www.volunteermilwaukee.org\" target=\"_blank\">volunteermilwaukee.org</a> to find additional volunteer opportunities. <br /><br />Volunteer and Celebrate Spring! <br /><br /></p> <ul> <li>Help older adults with spring yard cleanup in a neighborhood near you. Call the Interfaith Good Neighbor Project at (414) 220-8648. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>Pick up litter in Lake Park on Sat., April 21. Call Lake Park Friends at (414) 962-1680.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Clean flower beds or pick up trash weekdays in April at a senior centerWashington Park (414) 933-2332 or McGovern Park (414) 527-0990.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Monitor water quality of Milwaukee River Basin streams and tributaries. Training Sat., April 28 in Saukville. Call Milwaukee Riverkeeper at (414) 287-0207 ext 4.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Weed, plant and remove invasive species along Lake Michigan Wed., Fri. or Sat. mornings. Call Schlitz Audubon Nature Center at (414) 352-2880 ext 144.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Rebuild trails, create compost, weed or plant trees along the Milwaukee River weekdays; ideal project for groups. Call Urban Ecology Center at (414) 964-8505.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Join or form a group and clean the Milwaukee, Menomonee or Kinnickinnic River for Milwaukee Riverkeeper on Saturday, April 21. Call (414) 287-0207 ext 6.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Build trails, assemble fence or remove invasive plants along Milwaukee River Friday April 20. Call River Revitalization Foundation at (414) 271-8000 ext 3.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Clean up the Layton Blvd West neighborhood Saturday morning, April 21; supplies provided. Call (414) 383-9038 ext. 5247.</li> </ul> <p><br /> </p>
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