Earth Day Events in Minneapolis and St. Paul

Earth Day is Wednesday April 22, and traditionally there is a lot going on in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Twin Cities have a reputation for being some of the greenest urban areas in the nation, with initiatives like encouraging solar power, annual street cleaning to protect waterways, subsidizing the cost of new trees for residents to plant, hybrid buses, and expansive plastic recycling programs.

The longest running Earth Day event is the annual Minneapolis Earth Day Watershed Clean Up, held this year on Saturday 18 April from 9.30a.m. until noon. Volunteers are provided with gloves and bags to pick up trash in Minneapolis parks that would otherwise pollute lakes and rivers. So all that is needed is to show up and help.

Now in it's third year, Wishes for the Sky is one of the largest Earth Day events in the Twin Cities. Wishes for the Sky is a free art event held at Harriet Island Park, just across the river from downtown St. Paul on April 19. Borrow a kite at the park, decorate it with a wish, and fly it over the park to send your wish skywards and hopefully come true. This event is very popular with children and families.

And there are many more events at zoos, nature centers, and parks across the metro area.

• List of Earth Day Events in Minneapolis and St. Paul