Earth Day: CleanUp, Compost, and Contribute

April 22 is Earth Day and this year there are several opportunities to participate in Canton. Whether you want to clean up the park or your block, plant a tree, or start composting, here’s a list of ways you can volunteer to help beautify our neighborhood.

• CCA Earth Day Community CleanUp and Seed/Garden Swap

Join us at O'Donnell Square Park on Saturday, April 22 from 10 am to noon for our annual Earth Day Community CleanUp.

This year we'll also have members of the local gardening groups Canton Contained and Bmore Happy House Plants on-site at ODSP to host a Garden-themed swap. Bring your seeds, plants, and/or containers and tools to share!

Or you can simply stop by, put on some gloves, and help us clean up the park. You can also participate where you live by cleaning up litter, leaves, debris, etc. around the homes, alleyways, and curbsides.

To sign up for the cleanup, email info@CantonCommunity.org or just stop by and ask Michele how you can help. The start time is around 10 am and we’d love to meet you!!

• Mayor Scott’s Spring CleanUp

The Mayor’s Spring Cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 22 from 9 am to 1 pm. Community associations, block leaders, and organizations throughout the City can call 311 to register their cleaning activities and volunteer or sign up online. Participants who register their cleaning activities can request that City trucks visit their locations to collect debris.

• Canton Ace Garden Party

Canton Ace Hardware is hosting its Annual Garden Party on April 22 from 10 am-2 pm and the CCA is going to be there. Look for our booth outside! The event will feature local gardening experts, giveaways, and 20% off plants, pottery, tools, paint, and more! The sale runs all weekend April 22 & 23 at 1022 S. Binney Street. DETAILS HERE. 

• Canton Canopy Spring Plantings

Canton Canopy, the volunteer group working with the CCA to increase the trees in Canton, returns for the season on Saturdays, April 29 and May 6. Join them from 9:00 am to noon to help plant new trees! (Locations TBD.) They’ll have tools, gloves, coffee, and donuts… all they need is you! For details, like them on Facebook.

• I Wonder Garden

The I Wonder Garden is one of Canton’s best-kept secrets. The 7,000 sq. ft. garden features native plants and community plots. Run by a team of local volunteers, they can always use your help! To receive updates on garden meetings and volunteer opportunities follow them on Facebook or email Iwondergardenbaltimore@gmail.com.

• Community Compost Initiative

The CCA is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Community Compost Station where neighbors are invited to drop off food scraps and compostables for FREE! The site is at the I Wonder Garden at Hudson and Baylis Streets inside the fence in the NE corner of the parking lot.

Included are food scraps and compostables like fruits & vegetables, coffee grounds, bread, and compostable packaging, but not plastic, glass, oil, or metals. There are signs to specify what can and can’t be composted at the site. The bins are emptied once a week by a private company, Veteran Compost.

This site is an extension of the PPNA Community Compost Initiative started by Allison Blood of the Patterson Park Neighborhood Association. The service is funded by local company Pompeian, Inc. via a grant from Healthy Harbor.  To learn more visit https://www.pattersonparkneighbors.org/composting. For questions/comments email Sustainability@PattersonParkNeighbors.org.