Earth Day 2023
The Earth Day 2023 event was held from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday, April 22nd at the REACH Museum in the Tri-Cities. The event was a partnership between Sustainable Tri-Cities, the Tri-Cities Chapter of Citizens Climate Education, Ben-Franklin Transit, Battelle Memorial Institute, Life@PNNL, and the REACH. Thanks to a grant from Battelle, all of the REACH Museum was rented for the day so that admission was free to everyone.
That year’s theme was HEALTHY PEOPLE, HAPPY PLANET. The goals were to engage all ages, especially kids, in learning about and adopting healthy ways of living for themselves, for their local environment, and for the planet. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s STEM Ambassadors presented science demonstrations for kids. Earth-relevant “Tri-Talks” were presented by local scientists, Kids for Urban Trees, DTG Recycling, and the REACH Museum education director. Rick Evans, the Central Washington Outreach Director for Senator Maria Cantwell, spoke on what Congress has done and can do on climate change, and Senator Patty Murray’s office also sent a message.
Additional activities included a student poetry competition hosted by Urban Poets Society, games, surveys, service projects, and a climate simulator. Local organizations with relevant missions were invited to table at the REACH. Entertainers played Earth-care songs and traditional music. Taco and Thai Food trucks were available.
Ben Franklin Transit provided free fare on Saturday, April 22nd, from 7 am to 10 pm, to ensure that people from all walks of life could attend the Earth Day celebration. Fare-free applied to all the big buses so people could give transit a try, rather than driving to any activity they had planned for Saturday. All forms of eco-friendly travel, like walking, biking, rolling, and ride-sharing, were encouraged. Extra bike racks were available for secure bicycle parking. The REACH Museum is located at 1943 Columbia Park Trail, Richland, WA 99352.