Urbanity: The Good Earth

ARCADIA EARTH, part of this year’s Earth Day 5k Green tour. BELOW: Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club.

EARTH THE GOOD

Earth Day turns 50—Some ways to honor our home planet. by Daniel Metz

TAKE A HIKE Grab your walking shoes and head to the West Village for an educational exploration to visit green groups around NYC, created by the Earth Day Initiative. The groups and destinations change every year—this year’s stops include Arcadia Earth, the world’s first immersive augmented reality environmental journey. earthdayinitiative.org

BIRTHDAY BLOCK PARTY In conjunction with the Department of Transportation, the Earth Day Initiative is throwing Earth Day

blowout 50th birthday party. While New Yorkers are walking through Car Free NYC, they can wander over to Union Square to check out more than 70 exhibitors from environmental non-profits to green businesses, as well as children’s activities and live performances.

CAR FREE LIVING For one day each year, the Department of Transportation lets pedestrians walk free down Broadway from Times Square to Union Square. City agencies and nonprofit organizations will offer environmental programming along the route to promote activism and education surrounding climate change, sustainability, and other relevant topics. In addition, the Chinatown Partnership offers a “weekend walk,” providing additional programming on Forsythe Street from Canal Street to East Broadway. Walkers can check out art and cultural activities,

active lifestyle activations, movies, and fun for the whole family. www1.nyc.gov

A WHOLE NEW WORLD Earth Day is about creation, and the Museum of Chinese in America is happy to help. Join them for ‘Recycled World,’ a special edition of their MOCACREATE series. Attendees can use recycled materials to create a mini world of their own or help create a collaborative community

that envisions what the earth might be like in the future. Bring children or not--this is an event for all ages. mocanyc.com

ODE TO JOY In April, the Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra will be performing Songs of Our Sphere at 6 River Terrace. The music is inspired by the Greek Philosopher Pythagoras’ ‘Music of the Spheres.’ KCO will perform works that celebrate nature and the natural world. And, you can join Bob Holman (above), founder of the Bowery Poetry Club, at Poets House for Nature in Poetry. Holman will read selections of his poetry, as well as works by others, which were inspired by nature. He will lead a discussion highlighting our connection with endangered species. bpca.nyc.gov DT

FROM THE EDITORS: Due to New York’s response to the global pandemic of COVID-19, gatherings and events have been postponed or cancelled. Please check websites and always follow local, state, and federal guidelines regarding social distancing, safety, and disease prevention.