#PortlandME - COME JOIN THE GREAT PORTLAND PICK UP!

The Portland Parks Conservancy and the City of Portland are hosting a citywide cleanup event on Saturday, April 25th, from 10AM - 12PM.

"This event is happening rain or shine!

Join us in cleaning up our local parks and communities, enjoy refreshments, and be entered to win a raffle prize by attending and helping clean up trash & litter!

Calling volunteers! Come join us for a fun morning of giving back and helping Portland shine! We’ll have all the supplies you need.

Just bring comfy clothes, closed-toe shoes, and don’t forget water and sunscreen. Enjoy free coffee and snacks while you volunteer, and when you fill out the waiver, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a raffle prize 🎉

*No need to sign up to volunteer, just show up at one of the following clean-up hub locations.

Meet at one of the clean-up hub locations:

- Congress Square Park: Meet at the park at 581 Congress St
- Parkside: Meet outside the building at 510 Cumberland Ave (look for the Parkside Community Policing Sign!)
- Bayside #CommunityGarden: Meet at the garden entrance at 78 Chestnut St
- Allen's Corner: Meet at the Shaw's in the Northgate Plaza by the covered entry area facing Allen Ave at 91 Auburn St
- Canco Woods: Meet at the main trailhead off of Canco Rd
- Woodfords Corner: Meet outside Oddfellows Hall at 651 Forest Ave
- Capisic Pond Park: Meet at the Rockland Ave entrance to Capisic Pond Park
- Riverton Trolley Park: Meet in the parking lot by the sign at 822 Riverside St
- India St Area: Meet outside Cloudport Coworking MultiSpace at 63 Federal St
- Munjoy Hill: Meet at the Hill House at 92 Congress St
- #DeeringOaksPark: Meet in the park by the stage
- Ocean Ave Elementary School: Meet at the back of the school parking lot by the entrance to the woods
- Deering Center: Meet outside Pat's Meat Mart at 484 Stevens Avenue
- West End - Reiche #CommunityCenter: Meet at the community center entrance on Clark St
- #BaxterWoods: Meet at the Stevens Avenue entrance by the Baxter Woods sign
- #PaysonPark: Meet at the parking lot by the baseball fields
- #PeaksIsland Community Center: Meet at the Community Center at 129 Island Ave
- #LongfellowPark: Meet at the picnic table in the park at 10 Longfellow St "

Source:
https://recycle.portlandmaine.gov/1600/The-Great-Portland-Pick-Up?contentId=c6c3c104-6dbe-454b-930e-cab1fad8fc35

#SolarPunkSunday #MaineEvents #ParkCleanups #BuildingCommunity #SpendTimeOutdoors #LitterCleanup #EarthDay2026

#PlasticPatrol: the #CitizenScientists tackling #litter in #Australian #waterways

#Plastics make up the majority of litter across the country. In the absence of regulation, the public are taking matters into their own hands

by James Norman, Fri 30 Jan 2026

"Neil Blake weighs a paper bag of fake grass fragments he has collected from a stormwater gutter near #DarebinCreek in #Melbourne’s north.

"Over the past three years Blake has conducted 56 collections of synthetic turf in the waterway alongside the KP Hardiman Reserve hockey pitch.

" 'I noticed that a local hockey pitch was being replaced and the plastic surface was running off into the local environment,' he says. Strong northerly winds and #LeafBlowers had helped shed the turf fragments into the local #environment.

"In addition to impacts on #AquaticEcosystems, scientific analysis suggests #PlasticPollution is exacerbating #ClimateChange, #biodiversity loss and #OceanAcidification.

"Australians produce more than 3m tonnes of plastic waste each year, and according to Clean Up’s annual survey of parks, beaches, creeks and other public spaces, plastics make up more than 80% of litter across the country. A review by the New South Wales chief scientist found that one #SyntheticTurf field could transport between 10kg and 100kg of plastic fragments into the #stormwater system or local waterways.

"Blake has taken advantage of the electronic scales provided by the newly opened community science laboratory in the Port Phillip #EcoCentre in #StKilda, to quantify his samples to present to the local council and the Environment Protection Authority. The lab hosts facilities including microscopes, measuring equipment, safety gear and access to advice from trained scientists.

"It’s one example of citizen scientists tackling the growing problem of plastics in #waterways, including #beaches, #rivers and dive sites around the country."

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/31/australia-litter-picking-beaches-waterways-plastic-pollution

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/okVtk

#SolarPunkSunday #LitterCleanup #NewSouthWales #Australia #PlasticTurf #PlasticPollution #CitizenScience #WaterIsLife #Astroturf #PlasticPollution #Microplastics

#SpringCleanScotland 2026 is running between 13 March and 24 April 2026.

"Spring Clean Scotland is our annual campaign which brings together people from across Scotland to tackle litter. During this month-long campaign, thousands of volunteers spend time outdoors cleaning up the environment through sociable, fun, litter picking sessions.

There's two ways to get involved:

Find a litter pick near you to support by checking our Clean Up Scotland Map.
Create your own #SpringCleanScotland litter pick and register it.

Check out the Community Litter Hub for advice and support to organise your own litter pick.

Each year we release bespoke posters and social cards with dates of our #SpringCleanScotland campaign to promote local activities, check out our Handy Resources page for these. We have also included an editable poster for you to share all the details of events with your community."

FMI:
https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/clean-up-scotland/spring-clean-scotland/

#SolarPunkSunday #SpringCleaning #LitterCleanUp #KeepScotlandBeautiful #EarthDay2026 #BuildingCommunity #ScotlandEvents

#Toronto - #EarthMonth 2026

All of April 2026

Free & Low-Cost Programming | Most Events Free

"What is Earth Month at the Brick Works?

For over 15 years, #EvergreenBrickWorks has been Toronto’s demonstration hub for sustainability: a repurposed historic site that proves what’s possible when we reimagine public space for people and planet. Every April, we open our doors to a whole month of programming in celebration of that.

Earth Month at the Brick Works brings together community organizations, environmental educators, artists, local vendors and Torontonians interested in exploring the things that matter:

How do we live more sustainably? How do we create less waste? How do we reconnect with the natural world right here in the city?"

Upcoming events:

April 25th: #LitterCleanUp with Don't Mess with the Don
10am-12pm
Meet at Watershed Wall
Free
Don't Mess with the Don and Evergreen will be leading a spring clean of some of favourite places in the Don Valley. We provide everything you will need including snacks. The clean up is easy to moderate with some brush areas involved. Rain or shine. No need to register - meet at the Watershed Wall at 10am.

April 26th: #EcoFair - Green Neighbours Network & Transition Toronto
11am-4pm
CRH Gallery
Free
EcoFair Toronto is a celebration of the wonderful people, environmental groups, and eco-businesses that are helping to create a greener and healthier planet for all. With fun activities for kids, industry professionals, EV and e-bike test drives, the City of Toronto Hub, and locally produced sustainable products for home, health, fashion and accessories by Toronto artisans there's something for everyone.

April 26th: Drop-in: Seed Planting Demo
12-5pm
Evergreen Garden Market
Free
Stop by the Evergreen Garden Market anytime for a free seed planting demo!

April 26th: WORKSHOP: Exploring #ClimateJustice through Cold Process #SoapMaking | Register here.
11am-1pm
Bricks and Bites Kitchen
$90
Learn how to create soap using plant-based ingredients while exploring the ecological benefits of this traditional method. Take the soap recipe and two lbs of your own soap home with you. Stay for a latte and conversation!"

FMI [includes more events]:
https://www.evergreen.ca/evergreen-brick-work/events/earth-month-2026/

#SolarPunkSunday #SeedPlanting #BuildingCommunity #MakerSpace #SustainableProducts #LocalArtisans #TorontoCanada #GardenMarkets #SpringCleanUps #EarthDay2026 #Workshops #PublicSpaces

#WellingboroughUK - Great British #SpringClean

TOWN CENTRE – SATURDAY 28th MARCH, 10-12

"Wellingborough Town Council are once again joining #WellingboroughEcoGroup and #WellieWombles on our biggest litter pick of the year!

On the last Saturday of every month, Wellingborough Eco Group normally carries out a two hour tidy up with Wellie Wombles and numerous volunteers. We are returning to where we held this special litter pick last year.

Do join us and Wellingborough Town Council for The Great British Spring Clean! This year it takes place on Saturday 28th March and we are litter picking the town centre!

We will set up a recycling station on Market Street from 9:30 to litter pick between 10am-12 midday. We have donated litter picking equipment, so everything is provided. North Northants Council will take away the litter we pick.

Castello Lounge are hopefully supporting us again with refreshments during and afterwards, do join in with friends old and new, bring your family. Everyone is welcome, see you at the Great British Spring Clean!"

Source:
https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/litter-picking/gb-spring-clean/

#SolarPunkSunday #LitterCleanUp #LitterPicking #Stewardship

Jean Chen tours Alameda's storm drains and chats with Alameda Public Works employees about the process to keep our streets and waterways clean. Public Works Supervisor Manny Rios urges the public not to litter: "People don’t understand the consequences of putting trash in the storm drains." https://alamedapost.com/features/alameda-life/down-drain-litter-hurts-local-infrastructure/

#alameda #flooding #LitterCleanUp #PublicWorksDepartment

Calling all environmental advocates with ideas—big and small! The Alameda Countywide Clean Water Program is now accepting applications for grants up to $6,000 per project to prevent stormwater pollution and enhance the health of local watersheds, creeks, and the Bay.

https://alamedapost.com/news/apply-for-a-clean-water-grant-of-up-to-6000/

#alameda #CleanWater #grants #LitterCleanUp #SanFranciscoBay