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Best Ways To Celebrate Earth Day In Boston

By Mark G. McLaughlin, Speakeasy

For more than 40 years Bostonians have been marking Earth Day with festivals and marches, parties and parades, and an assortment of environmentally conscious activities to clean up local parks and waterways. The centerpiece of this year's events will undoubtedly be the rally on the Common in support of science and science education. Timed to coincide with the Scientists March on Washington, the Boston rally is meant to not only show support for science but also to show that Americans want the government to do more to help the environment. There are similarly community conscious events around town on Earth Day, including the annual gatherings to clean up the Charles River, as well as many fun festivals, all of which have in common appreciation for Mother Earth.

science rally
(WBZ-TV)

Boston's March for Science
Boston Common
139 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02108
www.facebook.com/events/246381619134165
Date: Saturday, April 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

What better day than Earth Day to "March for Science?" That is what the organizers of this event to promote science, science education, and environmental awareness were thinking when they began putting together an event which they hope will have a "festival feel" as well as a being a community gathering meant to allow scientists and ordinary citizens – not politicians – to share their ideas and support for sharing and championing science around the country and the world.

Festival to Save the World
Brooklyn Boulders Somerville
12A Tyler St.
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 623-6700
www.brooklynboulders.com/somerville
Date: Saturday, April 22 and Sunday April 23
There are no mountains in Boston, but the climbing community there is surprisingly large, quite active and very supportive of causes that benefit the environment. Many in that community frequent Brooklyn Boulders, an indoor climbing, fitness, yoga and cultural center in Sommerville. This Earth Day the 40,000-square foot facility is hosting a 36-hour Festival to Save the World, which begins late Saturday with cleaning up the nearby park and includes a sleepover (complete with the S'mores provided by Whole Foods), outdoor yoga and meditation, acoustic jams and live performances by local bands. On Sunday there is a "Morning Quiet Climb" and yoga event, and a "Bluegrass Brunch." Tickets range from $15 to $65, depending on how many of the events in which the celebrant wishes to participate.
Hopsters
(Photo Credit: Hopsters)

Hopsters Grand Craft Beer Tasting
The KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market
100 Hanover St.
Boston, MA 02108
(978) 578-5867
www.bostonpublicmarket.org/kitchen
Date: Saturday, April 22 at 12 to 3 p.m.

The Earth offers many bounties, and the craft breweries of the Boston area make particularly good use of many of those to make one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man. On Earth Day at least ten local craft breweries will present their finest offerings at The KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market. Night Shift, Mayflower, Notch, Cape Ann and Clown Shoes, among other breweries, are all coming together to honor the Earth and to honor Trustees, who manage the community KITCHEN educational program that is working to "transform the local food system by connecting residents and visitors back to the land" and to help promote "sharing the Commonwealth's collective agrarian heritage." The Trustees have a passion for regionally-sourced food and encourage and support local farmers, farm stands and community pantries. Tickets are $10, and that includes a commemorative glass. The KITCHEN is also hosting a local "Sea to Kitchen" seafood festival beginning at 5 p.m. on Earth Day.

Related: What Is Earth Day And Why Is It So Important?

Greenway
Boston's Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway (WBZ/Ryan Kath)

Earth Day on the Greenway
Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway
185 Kneeland St.
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 292-0020
www.rosekennedygreenway.org
Date: Saturday, April 22 from 7 a.m.to 11 p.m.

The Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway is a series of five parks along a one-mile stretch from the North End through the Wharf District, Fort Point Channel and Dewey Square to Chinatown. Open from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. every day, the parks are popular with picnickers, joggers, cyclists and others who yearn for an open space to recreate inside the concrete coliseum that is modern Boston. The Greenway is especially popular on Earth Day, with the 36-seat animal carousel at Tiffany and Company Foundation Grove a particular favorite of families with small children. There are a myriad of activities, both formal and informal, planned and spontaneous, all along the Greenway almost every day, but especially on Earth Day.

Boston skyline
The Boston skyline, as seen from the Charles River. (Photo by William B. Plowman/Getty Images)

Annual Charles River Cleanup
Charles River Watershed Association
(781) 788-007 x200
www.crwa.org/charles-river-cleanup
Saturday, April 29 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Last year more than 3,000 volunteers came out to pick up trash and help the Charles River Watershed Association maintain the parks and recreational areas along the Charles River. An annual Earth Day commemorative event since 2000, the Saturday after Earth Day morning cleanup activity takes place along almost the entire length of the river, with mustering spots at eight major sections from Boston and Cambridge out to Watertown, Waltham and Wellesley. The event not only offers a way to show the community's appreciation for the river but also helps keep it a safe and welcoming place for joggers, boaters, kayakers and canoers and others who walk, play and exercise on its waters and along its shores. It is also a great opportunity to meet and learn how to work with and support a number of volunteer organizations which are committed to helping keep the local environment clean and safe. Information as to where to meet at each of the eight gathering spots and other details can be obtained from calling the Association at the number listed above.

Related: The History Of Earth Day

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