NEW YORK (PIX11) — Wednesday is Earth Day, a global celebration of awareness and protection of the environment.
The holiday was founded by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970 following the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill in California, and has grown in popularity across the world.
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A select number of streets across all five boroughs will go car-free to mark the holiday.
Also, several volunteering events hosted by the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation are happening on Wednesday and Thursday, and they are all free for all to attend.
Earth Day Celebration
Success Garden – East New York
444-461 Williams Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.
Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Volunteer Workday
Edwards Avenue Community Garden
1429 Edwards Ave., Bronx, N.Y.
Wednesday – Saturday, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Earth Day Hike and Litter Clean-Up
130th Street and 11th Avenue in Queens
Wednesday, 1 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Earth Day Celebrations
126 Beach 36th Street, Queens, N.Y.
Wednesday, 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.
OctoTrash Public Sculpture Unveiling and Marsh Cleanup
Hunter’s Point South Park
50th Avenue and Center Boulevard, Queens, N.Y.
Thursday, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
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Earth Day Event
Smith Garden – Alfred Smith houses (NYCHA)
10 Catherine Slip, New York, NY
Thursday, 2 p.m – 5 p.m.
For information on all of these events, click here.
Andrew Cruz is a digital content producer. A native New Yorker, he joined PIX11 in 2009 as a weather producer. More of his work can be found here.
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