Rain or shine: Farmington’s Earth Day clean-up Wednesday

FARMINGTON – The second annual Earth Day clean up will be held, rain or shine, in downtown Farmington on Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. Volunteers will be meeting in front of The Pierce House on Main Street for bags, gloves and will either pick their favorite spot or get an area assigned to them.

The annual Earth Day, celebrating 45 years this year, is observed around the world with activities traditionally centered on the environment. The April 22 date relates to the northern hemisphere’s spring equinox and the southern hemisphere’s fall equinox.

Last year was the first year of this clean-up event with 40 bags of trash collected by volunteers. This year, organizer Annie Bean Palmer said a focus will be along Front Street, from McDonald’s to the Narrow Gauge Cinema.

“There seems to be a lot of blowing trash there. With the new restaurant and all, we feel we want to concentrate our efforts and really get it spiffed up,” she said. The town’s Highway Department is pitching in to help by transporting the collected trash and any recyclables to the transfer station.

Last year the event got started after Bean Palmer and her husband Chris Palmer thought an Earth Day clean up would be a good idea.

Both are authors of children’s books who like to go for walks around town and often pick up roadside trash along the way. “Been thinking about this for a while: a spring cleaning for the town to help improve the environment,” Bean Palmer said at the time.

This year, the University of Maine at Farmington’s Sustainable Campus Coalition has stepped up big time to help organize the event, Bean Palmer noted. Led by Drew Barton, a biology professor, student members of the coalition will be on hand to help organize volunteers and pick up trash.

Last year about 20 people signed in with others who joined in to help. Bean Palmer hopes for more volunteers this year. Businesses have already pitched in to help. Tranten’s and Reny’s have again donated the trash bags and gloves for volunteers to use.

“It’s very cool to have the support of the local businesses,” Bean Palmer said.

Volunteers can show up anytime from 1-3 p.m.

“If you enjoy walking around,” she said, “hey chip in.” She added people who help clean up tend to have more invested in their community and are more likely to advocate for a cleaner downtown.