The Town of Hanover aims to raise awareness and promote environmental sustainability to mark Earth Day.
Program Supervisor Brandon Dobson pointed out there are several events and activities planned this year.
On Saturday, April 20, residents are invited to participate in the Community Wide Garage Sale.
Dobson said residents can register to participate by completing the Town of Hanover Yard Sale application form before 9 am on Thursday, April 18.
"I will plot all of those garage sale locations on a map, and then post that map on our website so that anyone who is interested in attending any of these yard sales is able to map out their route to (shop) as efficiently as they can," Dobson continued.
Dobson said this event provides an opportunity for individuals to give their household goods a second life while reducing waste. A map of the participating locations will be made available for download at www.hanover.ca/events/earth-day-2024
He added Hanover Public Library is offering residents the chance to take home up to five seed types.
"On April 20, which is a Friday, and on Monday, April 22nd you can stop by the library and pick up the biodegradable, small planter which will have some soil in it," he revealed. "And then you can pick out a seed that you would be able to place in there and start growing your own, whether it's a vegetable, or a flower, or a plant, using that kit."
The Mayor's Tidy Town Challenge is already underway, encouraging groups to come together and register to pick up litter. Dobson revealed there will also be a community litter cleanup on April 21st.
"So we're going to be asking volunteers to meet at the P & H Center at 1 p.m. And volunteers should expect anywhere from about an hour to an hour and a half worth of their volunteer time," he said. "We will give them a map of an area around town which we ask that they collect any litter that they see throughout that area."
Dobson urged students to get involved.
"And then we're also challenging the students in our area to participate in the cleanup as well," he stated. "There's also a Recycled Art Contest, which students can participate in by creating any bit of art that they would like using recycled materials or garbage that they find and then using those materials to create an art piece so then submit their art creation to us and then we'll randomly select one of the winners."
This online contest will feature prizes donated by sponsor, Hallman Motors. Winners will be announced on the Town's social media platforms. The submission deadline for the contest is April 22.
Dobson invited people to mark Earth Day by joining the Zero Waste Challenge.
"It just kind of encourages residents, and anybody who's looking to participate in this, to limit their waste footprint by reducing reusing recycling and making some small changes in their life," he explained. "Potentially turning off the water when they're brushing their teeth or considering reusing some clothes. Instead of buying brand new from the store, they could be going to a secondhand store."
Lastly, in collaboration with the Library, a Clean and Green Foraging for Beginners Workshop will take place on Monday, April 22, at 6:30 p.m. in the Saugeen Room at the Hanover Civic Centre. Led by Jess Marin from the Bohemian Farm, this workshop will provide information on foraging, as well as guidance on identifying basic plants and embarking on a foraging journey. The workshop admission fee is $2 per person.
"You can kind of pick and choose, you can do them all or you can select a few that really fit your needs and what you're looking to to get out of Earth Day," Dobson concluded. "There's lots of different ways to participate. And yet we hope we have a great turnout for these events. And hopefully we can really leave a positive impact lasting impact on our earth.