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Photo Courtesy of Grow Pittsburgh

What’s Happening — Eco Events February-April in Pittsburgh

by Emma Honcharski

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January 23, 2024

Whether you’re one to set new year’s resolutions or you’d rather make daily commitments, your calendar and the way you spend your time are exceptional ways to live by your values. Winter and spring are times of rest and renewal – and we’ve got a list of events that can help you do just that, by connecting with your community and the planet.

FEBRUARY

  • Spring will be here before we know it, and now is the time to start dreaming and scheming about our gardens and landscaping. Rekindle your relationship to the natural world at the Native Plant and Sustainability Conference at Phipps Conservatory on February 3. This year’s keynote speaker is planting designer and author of The New Perennialist, Tony Spencer. 
  • Looking to grow your skills in educating on climate change? Educators of all kinds are welcomed to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s free event Educator Workshop: Climate Change on February 13, to develop activities that focus on design thinking, offer possible solutions that can be implemented locally, and build connections that can help learners understand climate change. 
  • If Valentine’s Day really put you in the mood, this Herbal Tea Support for Fertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum workshop from Grow Pittsburgh will be right on time. On February 17, learn about how herbs can help you with your health and wellness goals. Plus, maybe you’ll even be inspired to grow some of these plants to keep making your own tea blends throughout the year. If you want to get growing, try this Growing Mushrooms Indoors workshop from Grow Pittsburgh. Our gardens may have a few months to go, but mushrooms can be grown inside in as little as a month. 

MARCH

  • March 8th is Solar Appreciation Day – what better time than now to figure out if you could be saving money and energy by going solar? Check out this article we published in 2022 about Solar United Neighbors, a nationwide nonprofit that helps bring solar energy to low-income families in Allegheny County. 
  • Water is literally the most important thing in our lives, but we often take it for granted. Prepare for World Water Day on March 22 with the event series “Water in a Changing World,” which meets on March 12 and March 26, presented by the Pittsburgh Collaboratory for Water Research, Education, and Outreach. Then, why not take actions toward protecting our waterways and drinking water supplies? Clean Water Action, Lead Safe Allegheny, and Upstream PGH are three organizations that you can get involved with to celebrate water in all of its importance, at the local level. 
  • This next one is easy – on March 23, we’ll be celebrating Earth Hour. Just turn off your lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. as a way to increase your awareness and spark conversation about power usage. Corporations are one of the biggest sources of pollutants causing climate change, so maybe we can use this hour for activism by candlelight. 
  • Want your kids to get crafty? Sign them up for this Reuse and Renew! Sustainable Art Forms class at Sweetwater Art Center, which runs from March 6 to April 10. They’ll learn to engage with unconventional materials, and connect with sustainability through giving items they’re familiar with a second life in the form of art. 
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International Dark Sky Week

APRIL

  • April is Earth Month, and it’s looking busy. The month kicks off with Discover the Night: International Dark Sky Week from April 2-8. Why not host a late-night hike in your neighborhood and learn about how light pollution affects humans and animals, or, make a trip to Cherry Springs State Park in Potter County, which is world famous for being one of the best places in the USA for star-gazing and astronomy.
  • On April 4th, join us for Building a Greener Future, a panel series and networking event presented by Pittsburgh Earth Day and The Green Voice at the Duquesne Club. Stay tuned for more events in the series! 
  • Celebrate Earth Day with us at the Pittsburgh Zoo at Wild Earth Day Festival on April 20, then join us for a Sustainable Business Breakfast and Networking Event at the Fairmont Hotel. Arbor Day is April 26 – learn about planting your own tree or making it possible for more trees to grow in your neighborhood with Tree Pittsburgh, and then head downtown for the Pittsburgh Earth Day & PDP Night Market Goes Green in Market Square! 

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Emma Honcharski s a regular contributor to The Green Voice.