The West Kootenay Climate Hub is preparing to host Nelson’s first Earth Week, but it needs the community’s support.
Earth Week will run from April 22 to 27. It’s part of a global celebration, with this year’s theme being “Our Power, Our Planet.”
The City of Nelson has participated in Earth Day in the past, which takes place on April 22; however, this will be the first Earth Week held in the community.
The idea to dedicate an entire week to Earth Day celebrations was brought forward by West Kootenay Climate Hub members Suzanne Simoni and Judith Fearing, who felt a weeklong celebration would be valuable to the community.
“The world is very complicated right now. And so, the more we can be in touch with our relationships with people and nature—and realize how amazing it is, especially where we live in the West Kootenays—the more we can feel like we need to protect the Earth and work towards healing it,” said Fearing.
A variety of events are scheduled throughout the city for Earth Week, which will conclude on April 27 with a parade in downtown Nelson.
Activities include film screenings, guided nature walks, recycling workshops, live music, kayaking, vendors, Earth-smart initiatives, and more. However, event organizers need the community’s help to bring these activities to life.
Several volunteers are needed to marshal the Earth Day parade and assist with other events throughout the week. Organizers are also seeking community sponsors and someone to help with social media.
“We probably need 30 or 40 volunteers for the parade at least. And some of them might also want to volunteer for the films—we need a couple of volunteers for each film night, and they get to watch the film while just helping with setting things up and taking things down. There are so many opportunities for volunteering and being part of the excitement,” said Fearing.
The idea of Earth Week is to bring like-minded community members and organizations together, providing an opportunity to engage and collaborate.
Community members interested in volunteering or sponsoring the initiative can learn more at Nelson Earth Week’s website, with both Fearing and Simoni assuring that the volunteer experience will be fun and exciting.
“Our idea is to get the community together because community is resilience, and also to get the community to celebrate the planet. That’s really what we’re interested in with this weeklong celebration,” added Simoni.
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