VIDEO: First-ever Mother Earth Day coming to Niagara Falls

Earth Day was April 22 this year but Niagara Falls’ Park in the City Committee decided one wasn’t enough.

However, since Earth Day II might sound cliché, the committee went with Mother Earth Day and for the first time ever, they are holding the PenFinancial Mother Earth Day event at Firemen’s Park in Niagara Falls from noon to 4 pm Saturday, June 11.

The rain-or-shine event is organized as a celebration of the environment and mental health.

Planned activities will enable residents to see, hear and interact with all of the different demonstrators and vendors throughout the day. Entry is free and open to the public to attend and participate. 

The 2022 Community Clean Sweep will take from 9 am to noon to get things set up. This will see volunteers spread throughout the City of Niagara Falls to collect debris from parks, trails and boulevards.

A complimentary lunch will be provided to participants. Starting point to collect supplies will be at Firemen’s Park.

Then there’s the 2022 Volunteer Tree Planting from 10 am to noon where folks can plant native trees at Firemen’s Park.  A tree planting demo will be provided by Land Care Niagara. Please call 905-356-7521 ext.3341 to join in.

And finally, from noon to 4 pm, it’s the 2022 Youth & Family Activities and they are numerous. They include:

• Niagara Falls Public Library StoryWalk – Outdoor guided walk with books
• Craft Table – Self-guided headband to colour and staple to wear.
• Live Bugs – Wildlife artifacts table
• Secret Map – Game involving following a map
• Obstacle Course – Butterfly life cycle theme
• Board Game – Be a Deer giant board game
• Scavenger Hunt – Search by image, colour and words
• Ridable Kids Train – Provided by Heartland Forest
• Large Prize Wheel – Win wild flower seeds and other swag from MYAC
• Living Wall – Glue on moss pieces to create a large living wall provided by MYAC

There will be 67 vendors on site from noon to 4 pm with demonstrations will take place at the same time. Among the events will be:

• Shawana Family Drum (change – formerly Niagara River Iroquois Dancers): 12:00 p.m., 3:30 p.m.  Main Amphitheatre Grass Section
• Birds of Prey – Canadian Raptor Conservancy: 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. – Main Amphitheatre
• Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority – Native Plant Gardening: 12:30 p.m. Stage 1
• Qigong with Jerry Laan: 12:45 p.m. Main Amphitheatre Grass Section
• Mindful Meditation – Dianne Ellis, The HeartMind Coach: 1:45 p.m. Main Amphitheatre Grass Section
• Introduction to Bees – Small Scale Farms: 1:30 p.m. – Stage 1
  YMCA of Niagara Fitness: 2:45 p.m. Main Amphitheatre Grass Section
• Window Sill Greening – Jerry Laan: 2:30 p.m. Stage 1

Mayor Jim Diodati will be on hand and here he describes some of the fun.