Earth Day Celebration and Silent Auction to benefit the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust, Friday, April 21 at 6 p.m. at the Hendry House, Fort C. F. Smith Park, Arlington. The guest speaker at the event will be Aneesh P. Chopra, secretary of technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The evening also includes the presentation of the Alexandria and Arlington Conservationist of the Year Awards, to the Kust family and the Ortmans family, respectively. Tickets are $50. For reservations or further information, call 703-354-5093 or e-mail amize@nvct.org.
Open house at the Jerome “Buddie” Ford Nature Center, 5750 Sanger Ave., 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Saturday, April 22. Admission $5 for adults, $2.50 for youth. In addition to EcoVoce’s performance, there will be bluegrass music, guest speakers, heritage walks to explore the history of Dora Kelley Nature Park, and other family events.
The Mount Vernon community is invited to hear auto manufacturers at a demonstration of hybrid cars and see a hawk at a raptor education program as part of an Earth Day Fair, Sunday, April 23. Children’s activities will include a nature oriented scavenger hunt, papermaking and other crafts. The afternoon of Earth Day activities will be held from 12:30-3:30 pm at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, 1909 Windmill Lane, Alexandria. Other activities will include native plant sales, a labyrinth walk, “fair trade” coffee and cocoa sales, food and refreshments and information on the EcoStewards Alliance. The church’s Green Sanctuary Committee sponsors this event yearly in observance of Earth Day. For more information about the event call 703-765-5950.
The City of Alexandria will hold the Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon at Four Mile Run Park, 3700 Commonwealth Ave. The annual event will include family-oriented environmental activities, stream clean-up, Arbor Day tree planting, invasive plant identification and removal, environmental exhibits and displays, live-animal exhibits, an insect safari, and food. Admission is free.
Register to volunteer in the events at www.alexearthday.org or call Robert Gordon at 703-838-4844. Volunteers participating in the clean-up are advised to wear sunscreen and clothes that can get muddy. The sponsors will provide water, snacks, trash bags, gloves and a free T-shirt for volunteers.
Those attending the event are encouraged to park at the Cora Kelly Elementary School, 3600 Commonwealth Ave., or use public transportation. In case of inclement weather, the celebration will be relocated to the Cora Kelly Recreation Center, 25 West Reed Ave.
For more information, call the Special Events Hotline for the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities at 703-883-4686.