Celebrate Earth Day In Canton: Town Releases Event Line-Up

CANTON, CT — With Earth Day coming up this Friday, Canton has announced its line-up of events to celebrate the holiday.

On April 22 beginning at 11 a.m., the town's department of public works will hold a tree planting event, where volunteers will plant a Jefferson American Elm tree on the town green (next to the Bandstand).

The Jefferson American Elm tree can grow up to 65 feet tall, the town said. It blooms dark green leaves in April, which turn to golden yellow in the fall.

Also on April 22, the Canton parks and recreation department will host a free event where residents can make wildflower seed bombs using recycled paper.

The event will take place from 3-4:30 p.m. at Mills Pond Park (under the pavilions), and community members are invited to bring their own mail, envelopes, newspapers and more to make the seed bombs.

For anyone hoping to spend some time outdoors on Earth Day, the Farmington Valley Trails Council will set up an information station along the trail from 2-6 p.m.

And the Farmington Valley Trails Council will continue its Earth Day celebrations into the weekend: On Saturday, April 23 (with a rain date of Sunday, April 24) the Council will partner with BikeWalkCantonCT to host a trail clean-up.

Volunteers can arrive at the Canton Town Garage (50 River Road) by 9 a.m. to participate, and the clean-up will run through 11 a.m.

More information about each of the events can be found here.

Earth Day, an annual event that celebrates the anniversary of the modern environmental movement, began in 1970, according to EarthDay.org. Now, it's marked by over a billion people each year, the website says.