On April 22, the Triangle will celebrate Earth Day’s 39th anniversary. Founder and former Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin wrote that the inaugural Earth Day in 1970 “worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. … That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.” It’s up to us to continue the tradition.
Raleigh
N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.: Burt’s Bees sale, Whole Foods fashion show, Kids Zone presented by the Scrap Exchange, trash parade, eco-musical and an N.C. Sustainable Design Competition, in which college students design affordable, practical, environmentally friendly architecture. 1 Edenton St. www.planetearthcelebration.com
N.C. Museum of Art, Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.: Music, food and art-related activities and workshops. 2110 Blue Ridge Road. ncartmuseum.org/events/festivals.shtml
N.C. State University, the Brickyard, Wednesday, April 22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: More than 40 sustainable vendors, games, an energy fair and a library book sale. www.ncsu.edu/earthday
Durham
Nasher Museum of Art, Thursday, April 16, 5:30-7 p.m.: Duke University and community leaders discuss the university’s draft Climate Action Plan and how it can complement Durham’s Greenhouse Gas Local Action Plan. 2001 Campus Drive. www.nasher.duke.edu
Saturday, April 18, 2:30-4 p.m.: Duke LEAF award presentation and reception with actor, director and environmentalist Robert Redford for lifetime environmental achievement in the fine arts. Page Auditorium, West Campus. www.nicholas.duke.edu/leaf
N.C. Central University, Thursday, April 16, 6:30-9:30 p.m.: The Black, Brown and Green Alliance sponsors a community forum on how the stimulus package could create green jobs for low-income and at-risk people in Durham. Miller Morgan Auditorium, 1801 Fayetteville St.
Northgate Mall, Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: At Duke-Durham Electronics Recycling Day, the public can drop off used electronics. Enter at Guess Road near Sears Auto Center.
Downtown Durham, Saturday, April 25, noon-5 p.m., CCB Plaza and Parrish Street: Music, food, activities, demonstrations, parade. Full schedule of events is at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/parks/earthday
Chapel Hill
Earth Week: The Town of Chapel Hill, UNC and several private and nonprofit organizations host a week of events April 18-26. Highlights are listed below; for full schedule, visit tinyurl.com/dfs6x7
UNC Morehead Planetarium, Saturday, April 18, noon-5 p.m.: Music, kids’ activities, food and a green transport zone, 7 p.m. screening of The Last Time We Were Green. Tuesday, April 21, 7:30-9 p.m.: Our Vanishing Night, a demonstration of light pollution. 250 E. Franklin St.
Haynes Stone Center Auditorium, UNC, Wednesday, April 22, 7 p.m.: Experts discuss the future of North Carolina’s green economy. 150 South Road.