BEVERLY, MA — For more than 50 years, cities and towns across the country have targeted a day on or around April 22 to celebrate Earth Day and bring awareness to environmental threats to the planet.
In the half-century since Earth Day was first established in 1970, it has become clear to many that one day a year is not nearly enough to illustrate the impacts of climate change and how individuals can take steps in their own lives to protect the world around them.
“Earth Day is wonderful,” Green Beverly Community Engagement Director Julia Long told Patch.”But we’ve been thinking of ways to expand it for a long time and now we have Earth Season.”
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Specifically, following last year’s rainouts, Green Beverly is collaborating with Beverly breweries, businesses, and civic and municipal organizations to host a series of events over the next two months as part of the inaugural EarthSpring in the city.
EarthSpring was set to kick off on Friday with an event at Old Planter’s Brewing Co. that includes $2 from each 4-pack of its specialty-brewed pale ale Gaia’s Gift — a Greek mythology reference to the personification of Earth — going toward Green Beverly and its initiatives. The event was to begin at 4 p.m. (March 22) with a raffle prize going to one person who signs up for Green Beverly’s mailing list.
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“When we pitched it to them they were all in,” Long said. “They are earthy people there. They
pay attention and they have some really interesting efficiency practices that we want them to celebrate.”
Other events include each of the four Beverly craft brewers having events at their brewpubs, including workshops, trivia nights, and drag jeopardy, as well as the Beverly Beer Mile on April 27 in which each of the breweries will be serving in compostable cups with Green Beverly representatives on hand to help customers learn about how to best recycle their empty pints.
Long said Green Beverly is seeking about 40 volunteers for shifts in the event that runs from noon to 10 p.m. Those interested in being a part of it can email info@greenbeverly.org.
Other events include a tour of Lynch Park that deals with the effects of sea-level rise on the historic park, a talk on the past and future of the Carriage House, and a free screening at Endicott College on April 9 of David Abel’s documentary “Inundation District” about the development of Boston’s Seaport District amid flooding from rising ocean levels.
On April 19, Green Beverly will host an electric vehicle information session with information on an incentive program for EV chargers, a plant swap at Obear Park on May 19, and a Fix-It Clinic at Beverly Public Library on April 20.
EarthSpring concludes with a Pint Night event back at Old Planter’s where $1 for every beer sold will go to future Green Beverly initiatives.
Some times and event dates are still to be determined with an updated schedule available here.
“This is all scratching the surface,” Long said. “We want people to come out of this and keep the momentum up by thinking every day about how they can live their lives in a way that is less burdensome on the earth.”
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
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