CHARLTON -  The Charlton Earth Day roadside clean-up  will take place on Saturday, April 30, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.

Charlton residents are invited to help clean up the town for Earth Day.  The theme of Earth Day 2022 is “Invest in Our Planet” – the time is now for action to ensure the children of today have a healthier planet for their children’s children.

Register online at https://www.townofcharlton.net/238/Earth-Day-Committee.  Sign-up for a road, or portion of a road, or sign up in person at the event.

Thanks to a grant from The Last Green Valley, 100 pairs each of kid and adult gloves are available. Other donors have contributed 100 safety vests and 100 trash pickers.  These are available on a first come, first serve basis; however, the Earth Day Committee asks residents who have gear from last year’s Earth Day to reuse them so others may have adequate equipment.

Bottled water has been generously donated by Ted’s Package Store. Stay hydrated and reuse or recycle that empty water bottle.  Volunteers receive free wildflower seeds.  Do your part to help pollinators, convert a little patch of lawn into a haven for butterflies, native bees, moths, ladybugs, and hoverflies.

    Charlton Middle School fifth grader Ashlynn Cunniff is this year’s winner in the T-shirt design contest.  Her winning design features a whimsical earth with a face split in half, one side smiling and bright, the other bandaged and frowning.   She captured the urgency of the moment with her slogan:  IF YOU REST AND DON’T INVEST EARTH WILL LOOK LIKE A MESS.  Free t-shirts with this beautiful design are available while they last, thanks to a generous donation by Millennium Power Company. 

Show your support for the earth and for the town.  Casella Waste System is donating a large dumpster for the event.  Come help fill it up with roadside trash.

Safety first. Please take care when picking up the roads.  Use gloves to protect yourself from sharp objects.  Wear bright clothing or a safety vest so drivers can see you easily.  You may want to set up cones to caution drivers in higher speed areas.  Never open containers of unknown substances.  Contact the police to dispose of any needles or syringes – do not touch or place them in bags with other refuse.

    Charlton Earth Fest April 30, 11a.m. – 2 p.m. All are welcome on the town common to learn from a variety of vendors promoting environmentally sustainable lifestyle choices.  Learn ways you can help the earth, its animals, and plants.

Vendors include:  Cornerstone Bank, Energy Monster, Second Chance Animal Shelter, Shepherd Hill High School Envirothon Club, Charlton Garden Club, Charlton Heritage Preservation Trust, Charlton Conservation Commission, Keep Charlton Beautiful Committee,  Capen Hill Nature Center, Annie Mike’s Honey, and the US Army Corps of Engineers. 

Blessings Farm will be bringing some horses to the Common; come and visit.

Come enjoy live music in the gazebo featuring the Grey Whisker Pickers and The Wormtown Mugwumps. Food trucks will be parked along the Common, including Sliced, Potato Potato, Big T’s Jerky House, Dough Is Me, and Suzy Q’s Ice Cream. Something for everyone – vegan options, meat, sweets.