City of Lexington launches month-long Earth Day celebration
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The City of Lexington is launching a series of environmental events and programs throughout April to promote sustainability and encourage residents to engage with local natural spaces.
Earth Day may fall on April 22, but Lexington will celebrate the planet all month long, with Parks & Recreation and the Department of Environmental Quality and Public Works partnering on events and programs that encourage environmental stewardship.
The month kicks off with a creative initiative on Record Store Day this Saturday, April 12. Parks and Recreation will release a flexidisc featuring natural sounds from Hisle Farm Park, along with sounds of activities available at the park such as archery, horseback riding and walking your dog. The free golden-yellow recordings will be available while supplies last at CD Central and other local record stores.
The city's largest Earth Day event, Reforest the Bluegrass, returns April 18-19 at Jacobson Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The community tree planting festival has brought residents together for 27 years, planting over 215,000 tree seedlings near streams and water bodies to improve riparian buffers and water quality.
On Earth Day itself, April 22, residents can volunteer at McConnell Springs Park from 10 to 11 a.m. to help improve habitat, participate in a wildflower walk at Raven Run Nature Sanctuary from 1 to 3 p.m., or join tie-dye activities at the Dunbar Community Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Reforest at Home on April 25 will distribute free tree saplings to homeowners at three locations: Coolavin Park, Jacobson Park and Shillito Park. Because 69% of Fayette County land is privately owned, the city is working to involve homeowners in expanding the tree canopy.
Additional Earth Week activities include a Bingo Blitz on April 23 at Kenwick Community Center and craft activities at the William Wells Brown Community Center. For more information, residents can follow @LexKyParks and @LiveGreenLex on Facebook and Instagram, or contact Parks and Recreation at 859-288-2934.