Earth Day

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Earth Day Event

Join us to celebrate Earth Day

The City of Thorold is inviting residents to our Earth Day event on Saturday, April 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Thorold Community Arena located on
70 Front Street North in downtown Thorold. This is a free event but we encourage food donations for Community Care.

We have partnered with the Thorold Public Library and Thorold Community Activities Group who have activities planned and invited speakers to present topics related to Earth Day. Vendors will be in attendance marketing their environmentally-friendly products, services and/or educational materials.

Gauld Nurseries has donated 100 three foot saplings which will be given away to the first 100 Thorold residents. (Photo ID will be required). Habitat for Humanity will be present and collecting e-waste. Visitors are invited to bring their e-waste for recycling. Niagara Region will be present at the event selling various collection bins for attendees.

Want to become a Vendor at this event?

We are looking for vendors who have environmentally-friendly products, services and/or educational materials to sell to the public. Please click on the button below to download an editable form and follow the instructions.

Vendor Application

How do I participate at the Community Clean Up?

We are also requesting residents, businesses, schools, and community partners to come out and help clean up litter along sidewalks, parks, and trails in the city. Volunteers will be provided with all the necessary materials including; gloves, garbage bags, and garbage pickers.

Once volunteers have cleaned an area, they can drop off filled garbage bags at one of the drop off locations which City staff will collect at the end of the event.

Please click on the button below to view the Community Clean-up Map. You are welcome to print this at home and bring it with you.

Community Clean-up Map

Guest Speakers

Guest speakers will be presenting topics related to Earth Day at the following times:
11 a.m. | 12 p.m. | 1 p.m. | 2 p.m.

11 a.m. | Heather Swann

Heather is a passionate garden and landscape designer known for her dedication to designing captivating, ecologically balanced outdoor spaces. As the founder of Plan(t) Wise Garden and Landscape Design, her work not only transforms outdoor spaces into vibrant, functional sanctuaries but inspires a deeper connection to nature and fosters environmental stewardship. Heather thrills in sharing her passion for nature with others and envisions a future where designed landscapes are beautiful and beneficial to all species.

12 p.m. | Rebecca Van Massenhoven

Rebecca is a recent Masters graduate in the Department of Political Science at Brock University. Recently Rebecca’s research titled Managing Complex Relationships and Shared Responsibilities: The Case of Lyons Creek East Water Governance was published in a Niagara Community Observatory Policy Brief.

Rebecca will focus on addressing climate change through effective environmental policy and how it is one of the greatest challenges of our time. She will explore how they came to study environmental governance as the result of positive experiences, interest, engagement and inquiry surrounding the environment. She hopes that this story provides inspiration and encouragement for people of all ages and backgrounds to participate and engage in the natural world.

1 p.m. | Professor Kiera Newman MSc

Kiera is an ecologist who has been teaching at Niagara College in Environmental Sciences for eight years. In the last 10 years, she has had the pleasure of working with moths, monarchs and bees of many shapes and sizes. She enjoys sharing her love of these flying creatures, and their importance as pollinators, with her students and the community at large. Her current PHD research through the Raine Pollinator Lab at the University of Guelph examines how honey bees and wild bees use milkweed as food and medicine.

Kiera will be introducing you to some exciting and beautiful wild bees that are found right here in the Niagara Region. She will demonstrate how some bees collect pollen, where they store it on their bodies during flight, and where they hide in their nests. During this process, you will learn that other bees don’t need pollen at all. You will also have the opportunity to collect some “pollen” as if you are a bee, and for a brief time, you will become a scientist as you discover which local flowers the “pollen” comes from.

2 p.m. | Darren Platakis

Darren is a graduate of Brock University and Niagara College, is a member of the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and a member of the Canadian Association of Geographers. Darren is passionate about geography and the geospatial industry, and understands the immense potential available through the unique and fascinating geographical and cultural characteristics of the Niagara region. Darren is the founder, board member, and Chair Emeritus of the Niagara Geopark. He considers himself a “spatial creative” and “aspiration consultant”.

Since 2013, his educational non-profit, Geospatial Niagara has been dedicated to educational opportunities that foster economic prosperity through community minded projects. Geospatial Niagara promotes geo-literacy and community participation through geography, having engaged thousands of students across Niagara. Darren will be explaining what a Geopark is, how to become involved, as well as introducing the Geopark Network and providing highlights on some of his projects that he is involved in such as: the GeoClub and Niagara Geopark Trail Network.