This Earth day, there are several ways you can participate in events in Westchester and New York City. Whether you wish to engage in volunteer opportunities such as park clean-ups, helping out with local celebrations, attend spring festivals, or go to a political rally, your April 22nd should be a fun and productive day.

The Westchester Department of Parks and Recreation will be hosting an Arbor and Earth Day themed tree planting event. The event will take place at Muscoot farm in Somers on Saturday, April 28th from 1-2 pm.

Also on April 28th, the parks department advertises a volunteer work project in the Marshlands Conservancy in Rye. Volunteers will be tasked with cleaning and maintaining the park. The Conservancy boasts three miles of hiking trails that desperately need cleaning up. This will take from 1-3 pm.

For more active nature-lovers, biking, jogging, and hiking local trails are healthy and fun ways to connect with the environment. Less active events include galleries, such as the Spirit of Spring Gallery at the Rockefeller Preserve.  

In addition, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is open for Spring tours of their expansive facility. Its critically acclaimed restaurant, Blue Hill, features a seasonal menu with fresh spring ingredients. Despite its alluring dishes, the restaurant is not recommended for children because of its sophisticated menu, but it also has a less formal Blue Hill Cafe.

Another farm, this one where there are many hands-on activities with animals, is Muscoot Farm in Katonah, New York. On April 28th, there is a special tree planting activity where visitors can help the staff to celebrate both Earth and Arbor Days. Finally, on May 7th, Muscoot is hosting a bird walk to see what avians live around the farm.

The Parks Foundation will also be hosting the “Mutts on the Mountain” 5K run on April 28, in which participants may run alongside a canine companion. They offer volunteer positions that will help registration and facilitating the dog-centered festival after the run.

If going to a festival or rally is too much of a commitment, there are always less time-consuming ways to celebrate the earth. Aside from going to a crowded or faraway event, going for a walk in a local park or recycling plastic goods are additional ways to enjoy nature and protect the environment. If you are looking to make a difference this Earth Month there are many incredible local opportunities to make the world a better place this Earth Month. From cleaning up a park to taking part in a political march, Hackley students should be ready by the end of April to make a difference.