The city of Kirkland invites community members to celebrate Earth Month, an annual event meant to inspire environmental awareness, education and activism within communities across the nation.
To commemorate this effort, the Kirkland City Council formally proclaimed April as Earth Month during its meeting on April 2. Throughout the month, the city will host various educational opportunities for community members to come together to learn more about recycling, ways to reduce household waste and how to make their homes more “green.”
Those who prefer getting their hands dirty are invited to join other volunteers as they work on habitat restoration projects throughout the city’s parks system.
Community members are encouraged to join the celebration and take advantage of one of several family-friendly opportunities to get involved.
Events to recycle more, reduce waste and restore natural areas
• 6-7 p.m., April 10: Recycling Center Behind-the-Scenes Tour. Take a behind-the-scenes tour to see where recycling goes once it leaves the curb. Registration required.
• 6:30-8 p.m., April 16 and 6-7:30 p.m., May 6: Zero Waste Workshop. In this free workshop, learn how to switch from disposable products and produce less waste. Learn tips and tricks to reduce trash and live a healthier and more satisfying life. Registration required.
•10 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 20: Earth Day at Edith Moulton Park. Join 150 other Kirkland residents to restore one of Kirkland’s newest parks by removing invasive plants and spreading mulch. Registration required.
• 12:30-3:30 p.m., April 27: Repair Café at the Kirkland Library. Bring clothes that need mending and broken household items like lamps, vacuums, computers, and more, to be repaired by expert fixers from the community. RSVP encouraged.
Volunteer with Green Kirkland Partnership to restore natural areas
Keep Kirkland green by volunteering at one of Green Kirkland Partnership’s environmental stewardship events in April. Volunteers are needed to help build wildlife habitat, protect water quality and restore the forest by removing invasive weeds, spreading mulch and tending to new native plantings. Volunteer for Earth Day at Edith Moulton Park or choose one of the many other volunteer events during April.
Take the Green Home Challenge to make your home better for the planet
This April, residents can learn ways to make their homes more green by taking steps to reduce junk mail, lower food waste, safely store hazardous products, and more. Residents who join the Green Home Challenge will receive emails with simple tasks to complete during the month of April, including resources in and around Kirkland to make the process as convenient and easy as possible. The challenge began April 1. Sign up now.
Green your yard with new Yard Smart Rain Rewards program
Yard Smart Rain Rewards is an opportunity for Kirkland homeowners to beautify their yards and help keep polluted rainwater runoff out of Forbes Creek and Lake Washington. Qualified homes can take advantage of free technical assistance and financial rebates up to $3,500 to install rain gardens, native landscaping, and rain capture cisterns on their property.
People who live in the Forbes Creek Watershed, which covers most of Rose Hill and pockets of other neighborhoods, are eligible for the Yard Smart Rain Rewards Program. Learn more or sign up at kirklandwa.gov/yardsmart.
Protecting the natural environment in Kirkland
The Kirkland City Council’s April 2 proclamation of Earth Month is in alignment with the city’s ongoing commitment to protecting the natural environment.
The city recently released its first community-wide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report, which includes an inventory of 2017 greenhouse gas emissions for both city operations and the community, as well as recommendations for meeting future emission goals. In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from city operations, the city will source a significant amount of its electricity from renewable energy (sun and wind) using Puget Sound Energy’s Green Direct program. This is expected to commence in the summer.
For more information, contact Kirkland’s recycling hotline at 425-587-3812 or recycle@kirklandwa.gov.
