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Learn how to help protect the planet while gaining new appreciation for it this weekend at the city of Pleasanton’s Earth Day celebration.
The highlights of the Earth Day event on Saturday, being held a week before the traditional holiday on April 22, at the Civic Center on Old Bernal Avenue include a bicycle repair station, ladybug release, obstacle courses, face painting for kids and a “bike rodeo.”
“It’s where kids can come and get used to biking and seeing how the rules of the road work,” said Zack Reda, who is organizing the event this year as part of his fellowship with the Americorps CivicSpark program, which works with local public agencies to tackle earthly issues like climate change and water resource management.
The Pleasanton Garbage Service company will also be out that day “talking about what can be composted, what can be recycled and helping citizens with figuring those kind of things out,” as will other organizations like the Go Green Initiative.
In addition to a helmet decorating place and Bike to Work booth with information about local biker-friendly roads, there’s also a very unique attraction that bikers will want to gear up for.
“We have a bike blender station, which I’m kind of new to the idea,” Reda said. “They bring a bike and then you end up blending a smoothie (while riding it), so with the power you generate from your bike, you’ll have a smoothie.”
Residents can also bone up on their environmental knowledge at a number of workshops and lectures from master gardeners and beekeepers. The Alameda County Beekeepers Association will be on hand to educate residents about Pleasanton’s new beekeeping ordinance and share tips about beekeeping including how to start a hive. The group will also bring an observation hive for attendees to check out.
Reda also encourages folks to check out the terrarium workshop that he said will “be really interesting.” All materials for the first-come, first-serve terrarium will be supplied at the workshop, where attendees will make and bring home beautiful terrariums.
Music, dancing, martial arts demos, plus food trucks serving sliders, hamburgers and soft serve ice cream will round out the remaining attractions. Residents can also sign up for a creek cleanup earlier in the morning at various locations around the city, before the downtown event begins, and bring up to two banker boxes per car for document shredding at the Pleasanton Civic Center.
The city’s Earth Day celebration this Saturday (April 13) starts with the first workshop at 10:15 a.m. inside the Pleasanton Library, 400 Old Bernal Ave. All other activities, except the creek cleanup, are outside at the same location from 1-4 p.m. For the full schedule and more information, visit cityofpleasantonca.gov.