Earth Day goings-on are ample in the CSRA this weekend. Friday had the Journey of a Raindrop program for kids at the Evans Library.
Several businesses are offering seed-coupons and promotions, including downtown bistro The Bee’s Knees, which also has a recycling station; nearby Field Botanicals has in-store giveaways with sustainable products; and Greenbrier Nursery & Gifts in Evans is offering five dollars off in-store purchases of seed coupon along with a garden decor giveaway.
And of course, Phinizy Swamp is hosting Earth Day Augusta on Saturday morning with a host of activities.
True to form for the close-knit Columbia County hamlet, the city of Harlem had its own Earth Day festivities with plenty of locals and even a few out-of-towners chipping in to make the town look a little cleaner.
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“The theme for Earth Day 2022 centers upon investing in our planet, representing a challenge to think globally and act locally at building healthy cities for the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable,” said Mayor Roxanne Whitaker in her proclamation of Friday, April 22 as Earth Day in Harlem.
The proclamation kick started the Earth Day 2022 Clean-Up event in the city, hosted and sponsored by Bubbles or Not Dive Shop, coordinated by owner Rose Bennett, her social media liaison Alexia Gonzalez and Valarie Wingate. There were raffles, an art showcase and pizza donated by Loreen Reynolds of Attic Treasures.
“This year, we decided to advertise it more,” said Bennett. This year actually marks the second annual Earth Day Clean-Up held by the scuba shop. Bennett thought of the idea of hosting some sort of Earth Day program, and after conferring with Gonzalez, thought of making it another one of the town’s many public events.
“Why don’t we start doing it in the community where we’re at,” said Bennett. About 60 people turned out to volunteer to clean up portions of downtown Harlem, estimates Bennett, including members of the Sea Cadets and the Girl Scouts.
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“Anytime they can get together in general, they love,” said Kim Dolan, one of the leaders of Girl Scout Troop 20017. “But they were all really excited to ‘help the earth!’ Several of them made comments about that.”
Bubbles or Not effectively coordinated the event, and like many happenings in Harlem, it developed into a community affair, especially after a push through social media.
“It’s a big community engagement,” said Gonzalez, who admits she’s new to the area, and took advantage of Bennett’s and Wingate’s local connections to get the word out to businesses and schools. “Facebook group has been really helpful in spreading the word. We just care about the planet. So it’s just a little things like what little details can add to make it fun for the kids and for every age.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering education in Columbia County and business-related topics for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
