Henrico has H.E.A.R.T. this Earth Day

April 22nd is Earth Day, an annual event celebrated since 1970 to promote environmental protection. Henrico County has a long history of environmental stewardship and has recently strengthened that commitment by creating Henrico’s Environmental Action Resource Team (H.E.A.R.T.). H.E.A.R.T. is a robust committee of county employees representing many different departments. The committee is focused on identifying sustainability initiatives and goals to improve county operations in the areas of green space and recreation, energy resources and conservation, water, mobility and active transportation, and education and outreach. Cari Tretina and Steve Yob are leading the H.E.A.R.T. effort, which will soon expand to involve representatives of the Henrico community, including a youth council.  

Henrico County will celebrate Earth Day this year with a public festival at Deep Run Park on Saturday, April 22nd, from 10 AM – 1 PM, hosted by Recreation & Parks and Keep Henrico Beautiful. The event will feature live music, food trucks, and activities such as face painting, seed planting, a sensory-friendly activity tent, and a vendor fair. County departments, local environmental groups, and business vendors will share information on energy efficiency, recycling, residential solar, air quality, native plants, and more. In addition, Tech For Troops will be collecting retired technology and refurbishing it to help veterans in need. A list of equipment they accept can be found at https://techfortroops.org/support/equipment-donations/. Go green by recycling your old technology to help a veteran.

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Earth Day Festival

 

 

 

 

 

Henrico Recreation & Parks and Keep Henrico Beautiful will host a festival celebrating Earth Day on Saturday April 22nd from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Deep Run Park.  There will be live music, activities for all ages, and food truck refreshments available for purchase.  Activities include face painting, seed planting, inflatables, and a sensory-friendly activity tent.  Learn about sustainability initiatives and resources available in Henrico County such as energy efficiency, residential solar, electric vehicles, recycling, preserving green space, air quality, and more.

Tech For Troops will be collecting retired technology and refurbishing it to help veterans in need. A list of equipment they accept can be found at https://techfortroops.org/support/equipment-donations/. Go green by recycling your old technology to help a veteran.

This event is family-friendly and is free and open to the public.

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Earth Day and Energy Fair

Henrico County’s Spring Earth Day and Energy Fair will be held Saturday April 24 at Deep Run Park, Armour House at Meadowview Park, and Virginia Randolph Academy.  Visit any or all three locations between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM for fun, safe, outdoor activities and environmental education.  This event is co-hosted by Henrico Energy Management, Henrico Recreation & Parks, Keep Henrico Beautiful, and Henrico County Public Libraries.

All three locations will feature environmental information and resources, fun outdoor activities, and goodie bags.  Each attendee can take home a reusable insulated lunch bag full of information and gifts including care kits, activity sheets, a reusable water bottle, “Don’t Trash Virginia” sticker and magnet, and wildflower seed bracelets (while supplies last). 

At Deep Run Park, contribute to a community art project and see a variety of electric vehicles on display courtesy of Drive Electric RVA. Learn about tools and resources Henrico Libraries offers for checkout that can help you save energy at home, such as portable watt meters and thermal imaging cameras.

Virginia Randolph Academy and Museum marks the site of the first Arbor Day celebration in Virginia.  The Academy at Virginia Randolph will be showcasing their Career and Technical Education programs including the Horticulture program.  Visit the museum to learn all about Miss Randolph’s legacy and the historic trees located on the campus.

See spring in bloom at the gardens of the historic Armour House and visit with the Virginia Naturalists to learn about native vs. invasive plant species.  An expert in home energy and solar from non-profit Viridiant will be on hand to answer your questions about whether solar is right for you.

Soles4Souls will be collecting new or used shoes for donation to those in need.  Tech for Troops will be collecting used electronics, such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops and flat screen monitors in any condition, for refurbishment and donation to veterans. You can bring donations to the Deep Run Park location, or to Deep Run or Eastern Henrico Recreation Centers the week prior to the fair starting Monday April 19.   

The Earth Day and Energy Fair is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine.  If you have any questions, contact the Henrico County Energy Manager Carrie Webster at 501-5763 or [email protected].

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