April is Earth Month and it’s a time to raise environmental awareness, take meaningful climate action and celebrate sustainability successes. Recognized across the world annually, there are many ways your business, or you as an individual can participate. 

Earth Day, April 22nd is recognized as a day of action to change human behaviour and demonstrate the importance of a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Keep reading to see how Green Economy Leaders can get involved throughout April. We hope you feel inspired to participate and celebrate Earth Day, everyday!

Earthfest

Come celebrate environmental action in London on April 22nd! In 2022 we saw London’s first annual Earthfest in Victoria Park, with over 350 attendees and 30 exhibitors. We are excited to bring it back for 2023 and can’t wait to celebrate all the environmental work, wins, and potential our community has, as we look to make London one of the greenest, most resilient cities in Canada. Activities include live music, performances, speakers, workshops, food vendors, games, repair cafe, wildlife, e-bikes and much more. 

• Where: Citi Plaza, Central Library and Dundas Place 
• When: Saturday April 22nd, 2023 from 12pm to 5pm
• Event information: earthfestlondon.ca

London Clean & Green

London Clean & Green is a community and business partnership campaign taking place in April that promotes litter prevention, encouraging successful community clean-ups, and helping to organize environmental projects in London. Participate in your own clean-up all month long or look for clean-up events to participate in like the ones below:

Butt Blitz:

An action-oriented campaign focused on raising public awareness about cigarette litter, while removing it from the environment. As part of the Canada-wide event, the goal is to collect 1,000,000 butts from the environment to be sent to TerraCycle Canada for recycling. Get involved by joining individually or with a team to pick up cigarette butt litter around London. 

• When: April 1st – 30th, 2023
• Volunteer registration: butt-blitz-volunteer-form
• Event information:  londonenvironment.net/buttblitz

London Environmental Network is hosting a volunteer opportunity for Butt Blitz on April 16th from 1pm -3pm. Volunteers will meet at Gibbons Park and spread out around Downtown London. Please email cole@londonenvironment.net before April 12th to register. Event details here.

20 Minute London Makeover:

Get outside and clean-up your home, school or business to pick up litter and help spruce up the city. Participants are encouraged to take 20 mins out of their workday to clean up. Join the city at 2pm in your neighborhood. This is a great way for businesses to get involved in environmental stewardship.

• When: April 21st, 2023
• Event information: getinvolved.london.ca/londoncleangreen

Community-wide Clean-up:

Plan your own clean-up event, join one that might be planned in your area or participate on your own. This day has become the largest community driven effort in the city. 

• When: April 22nd, 2023 from 9am – 12pm
• Event information: getinvolved.london.ca/londoncleangreen

Green Economy London Contest

As a Green Economy London member, you can win an environmental employee engagement experience for your team and a garden materials prize pack by participating in both 20 Minute Makeover and Community-wide Clean-up.

Here’s how to enter:

• Post a photo from your company participating in the 20 minute makeover on April 21st and the community-wide clean up on April 22nd for a total of at least two photos
• Tag Green Economy London and your business (if posting from a personal account) 
• Use the hashtag #519CleanandGreen
• Photos must be posted by May 1st, 2023
• Winner will be drawn first week of May
• Must be located within municipal city limits of London, ON

Winners choose one of the following environmental team building experiences;

Growing Chefs cooking class: a fun, fully hands-on and interactive cooking experience for your team. Using fresh, local and organic ingredients where possible. Cooking class accommodates a team of 10.

LOLA Bees Urban Beehive Encounter workshop: Get up close and personal with the bees and learn about natural urban beekeeping, with opportunities to hold, handle and assess frames of bees, and try out beekeeping tools. Workshop accommodates up to 9 people.

The winner will also receive a Garden Materials Prize Pack of compost, topsoil or wood chips (valued at $250) thanks to London Clean & Green partner TRY Recycling.

Other Events

• White Oaks Optimists Park Community Clean Up
  • Join ReForest London in the clean-up of White Oaks Optimists Park in preparation for Tree Planting.
  • April 15th 10am – 12pm
• Native Plant Sale Spring 2023
  • Find beautiful, low maintenance plants for your garden while supporting local non-profit organizations here in London.
  • Order now until May 13th 
  • Pick up your plants at the Westminster Ponds Centre on May 27th
• Talk Climate to Me
  • Talk Climate to Me is for women* who want to learn more about the climate crisis in an accessible, supportive and non-judgemental environment. *Inclusive of trans, non-binary, and gender-not-conforming people and their supports
  • Multiple sessions throughout April being held virtually.