PALMER — Each April, people take to the streets, rivers and fields to pitch in to clean up their patch of the planet. On April 20, the town of Palmer will host its annual townwide Earth Day Cleanup event.
Palmer has been hosting townwide community clean-ups for Earth Day for about five years, said Palmer Conservation Agent Justin Enright. Enright began working as the town’s conservation agent in December 2023, so this is his first Earth Day Clean-Up in Palmer. However, he said that he expects the cleanup to be a success.
“Last year, we had more than 100 people. Hopefully, it does well enough that it gets bigger every year,” Enright said. He added that the town has a strong conservation spirit. “We have a lot of people who love to be outdoors,” he said.
Check-in begins at 9 a.m. at Laviolette Field, 2015 Main St. in Three Rivers. There will be trash bags and gloves provided. The Conservation Department collaborated with a local business to provide a dumpster at the field so participants can discard the trash they have collected when they check out at noon.
Participants can choose the area of town they want to clean, be it a river, park, wetland, or their own neighborhood. Enright said if people do not have a particular area in mind, the Conservation Department is working to identify parts of town that need “elbow grease.” Because some areas may not have sidewalks or even ground, people are urged to wear sturdy shoes and high-visibility clothing.
For more information, contact Enright at jenright@townofpalmer.com or 413-283-2600.
