Mayor Amy Walen proclaimed April as Earth Month in the city of Kirkland at the March 20 City Council meeting, recognizing the city’s ongoing commitment to protecting the natural environment, according to a press release.
The proclamation was greeted with enthusiasm by a number of participants at the council meeting. Several community members thanked the council for their efforts, including University of Washington student, Beth Fancher, speaking on behalf of a group of students with the university’s Restoration Ecology Network, who have been working on a restoration project in Kirkland.
“We have observed first hand this community’s dedication to preserving the great natural parks that are here in Kirkland,” Fancher said. “We’re here to thank you for this proclamation and all the opportunities we’ve been presented with over the past academic school year.”
Throughout the month of April, the public is invited to participate in a variety of events and activities including free workshops, joining the Green Home Challenge, volunteering to restore one of Kirkland’s natural areas and recycling challenging items.
Below are some of the events happening in honor of Earth Month in Kirkland:
Take the Green Home Challenge to make your home simpler, healthier and greener: This April, residents can tackle tasks like getting rid of junk mail, reorganizing their refrigerators to waste less food and decluttering closets. Residents who join the Green Home Challenge will receive emails with simple tasks throughout the month of April. Each email will include resources and events in Kirkland to make completing the actions easy. By the end of the month, participants will set up their homes to reduce waste, make their homes safer with informed use and storage of hazardous materials and clear out unwanted clutter. Sign up for the challenge at kirklandwa.gov/greenhome.
Volunteer with Green Kirkland Partnership to restore natural areas: Residents can do their part to 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. On April 21, all are invited to volunteer for Earth Day at North Rose Hill Woodlands Park, or choose one of the many other volunteer events during April.
Recycle latex paint at King County’s first paint recycling event: A new King County program offers residents the option of recycling latex paint, which previously needed to be dried out and thrown away. The City of Kirkland is hosting the county’s first latex paint recycling event under the new program. On April 14, community members can bring latex paint to Lake Washington Institute of Technology for recycling. A small processing fee applies to each can of paint. More information about the event can be found at kirklandwa.gov/recycle.
Recycle more and reduce waste: In April, Kirkland residents have multiple opportunities to recycle tricky items and keep them out of the landfill.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 7, participate in the city’s monthly polystyrene foam collection event, Styrofest, by dropping off Styrofoam™ and plastic film for recycling.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 14, join for the first Latex Paint Recycling Event in King County.
From 4 to 6 p.m. on April 17, sign up and join a Waste Management Recycling Center Tour to see where your recycling goes once it leaves the curb.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 29, stop by Kirkland’s biannual Recycling Collection Event to recycle mattresses, bulky wood, refrigerators and more.
Natural yard care classes: Learn how to create healthy soil and design a thriving garden for our Northwest conditions.
• Green Lawns and Gardens from the Ground Up
• Smart Plant Choices for a Northwest Garden Class
Sign up for these free workshops at www.kirklandpw.eventbrite.com.
Protecting the natural environment at the city of Kirkland: The Kirkland community cares about the environment, and the city is taking action to ensure the city functions in an environmentally-friendly manner. The city was recognized through the EnviroStars Green Business program this spring for operating City Hall in an environmentally responsible way. The Kirkland Justice Center, which opened in 2014, recently received a Silver designation under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. In partnership with the King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C), the city of Kirkland is developing an online dashboard that will allow the public to see a record of the city’s emissions.
For more information, contact Kirkland’s Recycling Hotline at 425-587-3812 or recycle@kirklandwa.gov.
