Yellowstone Insider Your Complete Guide to America's First National Park
Mark your calendars, folks: Yellowstone National Park is hosting an Earth Day celebration Saturday, April 23.
The Park, in conjunction with the Yellowstone Environmental Coordinating Committee and community partners in Gardiner, Montana will commemorate the 46th annual Earth Day with a host of events. The itinerary includes a community clean-up, waste collection, recycling, talks on local environmental initiatives, youth activities, and more. The full schedule is below:
• 9 am – 4 pm: “Trash Amnesty Day” at the Gardiner Green Boxes. No household hazardous waste allowed. Call 406-223-2135 for details or to arrange a free pick up.
• 10 am – Noon: Community clean-up opportunities.
• Noon: Free community BBQ.
• Noon – 2:00 pm: Educational and local vendor displays and youth activities.
• Compost give-away (bring your own bag or bucket!) at the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center.
• The G-Town Thrift shop will be open accepting clothing donations and the Community Closet from Livingston will have a truck for donating other household items.
Saturday’s Earth Day event is free and open to the public. Further, participants are encouraged to share their experiences on social media using the #GardinerEarthDay hashtag. If you’re interested in volunteering, or have any further questions about scheduled events, please call Dylan Hoffmann at 307-344-5204.
Incidentally, the Gardiner Earth Day celebration coincides with the Instameet planned at the Old Faithful Visitor Center. Further, admission to the Park will be free, as a part of National Park Week.
Although the event is Saturday, the actual Earth Day falls on April 22. The April 22 event was originally spearheaded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) in 1970 as an “environmental teach-in” geared toward college students. Today, of course, Earth Day is celebrated around the world.
