CELEBRATE EARTH: Join an Earth Day action this week!

THE ISSUE

The first Earth Day was observed in the U.S. in 1970, prompted by an oil spill the year before in Santa Barbara. By 1990, 141 other countries were celebrating Earth Day and today, more than 1 billion people worldwide observe the day every April 22. Below is a sampling of actions and events this week in Maine planned in honor of Earth Day. Know of one we’ve missed? Email us at suitupmaine@gmail.com.

ALL WEEK

• BANGOR: Husson University Earth Week, April 22-24. Find more information and a list of daily events HERE.
• ORONO: University of Maine, Orono, Earth Week, April 22-27. Find more information and a list of daily events HERE.
• SOUTH PORTLAND: Earth Week in South Portland, April 20-28. Hosted by South Portland Land Trust. Find more information and a list of daily events HERE.
• UNITY: Earth Week at Unity College, April 18-24. Find more information and a list of daily events HERE.

MONDAY, APRIL 22

• BANGOR: Earth Day Soiree. 6-8 pm at the Bangor Public Library at 145 Harlow Street. Hosted by NRCM Rising, Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, Bangor Greendrinks, and Bangor Land Trust. More information and links on Facebook.
• FREEPORT: Earth Day Happy Hour. 5:30-7pm at Maine Beer Company, 525 U.S. Rt. 1. Hosted by Natural Resources Council of Maine, NRCM Rising, and Maine Beer Company. More information and links on Facebook.
• NORWAY: Earth Day Party. 6-8 pm at Norway Brewing Company, 237 Main Street. Hosted by Earth Day Norway & Beyond and Center for an Ecology-Based Economy. More information and links on Facebook.
• PORTLAND: Earth Day: short films and discussion. 6-8pm at First Parish Portland UU Church, 425 Congress St. Hosted by First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist. More information and links on Facebook.
• PORTLAND: Earth Day Screening. 6-8:30pm at the Maine Outdoor Film Festival, 222 St. John Street. Hosted by the Maine Outdoor Film Festival and Maine Audubon. More information and links on Facebook.
• YARMOUTH: Earth Day Celebration. 6-8pm at First Parish Congregational Church UCC, 116 Main Street. Hosted by First Parish Church. More information and links on Facebook.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

• AUGUSTA: Conservation Lobby Day. 8:30-10:00 am at the Cross Cafe in the Cross Building on the Maine State House grounds, 210 State St. Meet with legislators and learn how to discuss environmental issues important to you and your community. Please RSVP HERE. Hosted by Maine Conservation Voters, Conservation Law Foundation, Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine Audubon, Environmental Health Strategy Center,  Toxics Action Center and Maine Public Health Association. More info and links on Facebook.
• AUGUSTA: Youth Day of Action. 11:30am-2:30pm at Maine State House 210 State St. Maine youth rally and lobby legislators to demand bold action on climate change. Hosted by 350 Maine, Maine Youth Action Network, Maine People’s Alliance, Sierra Club Maine, and others. Register HERE and on Facebook. For information and help with transportation, contact A Climate to Thrive.
• AUGUSTA: Public Hearing for LD 1282, a bill to create a Green New Deal for Maine. 1-4pm  in Room 211 of the Cross Building on the State House grounds. Learn more HERE or if you can’t attend in person, you  can submit testimony online HERE. Learn more about the bill in our Legislature Roundup. 
• TOPSHAM: Protecting Maine’s Environment: An Insider’s View of Progress. 6-7:30 pm at Topsham Public Library, 25 Foreside Road. Hosted by Natural Resources Council of Maine, Oxbow Brewing Company, and NRCM Rising. More information and links on Facebook.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

• AUGUSTA: Public Hearing for LD 1532, a bill to ban most single-use plastic bags. 10 am in Room 216 of the Cross Building on the State House grounds. If you can’t attend in person, you  can submit testimony online HERE. Learn more about the bill in our Legislature Roundup.
• STANDISH: Bag It Film Screening. 6-9pm at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine Alfond Hall Auditorium, 278 Whites Bridges Road. Hosted by Lakes Environmental Association and Natural Resources Council of Maine. More information and links on Facebook.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

• BANGOR: Bangor Earth Day Festival. 1-3:30 pm at Pickering Square, 100 Broad St. Hosted by Health Equity Alliance, Peace & Justice Center of Eastern Maine, Bangor Greendrinks, Food and Medicine and Penobscot River Resilience. More information and links on Facebook.
• BAR HARBOR: Downeast Climate March. 1-3:00 pm on the Village Green at Main and Mount Desert streets. Hosted by Indivisible MDI. Register and find more information and links on Facebook.
• CAMDEN: Camden Climate March. 10am-2pm at the Watershed School parking lot to Harbor Park. Hosted by Maine Teen Advocacy Coalition. Register and find more information and links on Facebook.
• LEWISTON/AUBURN: eARTh Day 2019 community clean up, art fair, music, and local vendors. 10am-2pm in the Downtown Lewiston Art District. Hosted by UMVA Lewiston Auburn, Wicked Illustrations Studio and Gallery, and Downtown Lewiston Art District. Find more information and links to hosting organizations, as well as other community cleanups in Lewiston, on Facebook.
• MDI & TRENTON: Earth Day Roadside Cleanup. 8:30-11:30am. Register HERE. For groups larger than 10 please contact coordinator Dana Petersen ana@friendsofacadia.org or 207-288-3934. Hosted by Friends of Acadia. Find more information HERE.
• NORRIDGEWOCK: Earth Day Community Clean Up. 12-4pm at 84 Mercer Road. Hosted by Oosoola Country Store. Find more information and links on Facebook.
• PEAKS ISLAND: Island Wide Earth Day Clean Up. 9am-12:45pm at the Doug McVane Community Center at 129 Island Avenue. Hosted by Peaks Environmental Action Team. Find more information and links on Facebook.
• POLAND: Earth Day Program. 1-4pm at Poland Conservation Trails, 1231 Maine Street. Hosted by Poland Conservation Trails. Find more information and links on Facebook.
• WATERVILLE: Drive Electric Earth Day Event. 10am-2pm at Thomas College, 180 West River Road, by the field hockey field. Hosted by Sustain Mid-Maine Coalition, ReVision Energy, Natural Resources Council of Maine, and others. More information and links on Facebook.
• YORK: Earth Day Volunteer Community Work Day. 9am-12:30 pm at the Mount Agamenticus summit lodge. Hosted by the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region, York Water District, and Friends of Mount A. Register and find more information and links HERE and on Facebook.

SUNDAY, APRIL 28

• SCARBOROUGH: Earth Day Clean Up. 0am-12pm at the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center, 92 Pine Point Road. Hosted by Maine Audubon. Register and find more information HERE.
• WATERVILLE: Waterville 350 Maine Members Gathering. 11:30am-12:30pm at Universalist Unitarian Church of Waterville, 69 Silver Street. Hosted by 350 Maine. More information and links on Facebook.