Sunday, April 22: Two Earth Day Events in Lowell

Earth Day Family Fun Day

12 noon to 4 pm: Earth Day Family Fun Day with the National Park Service and Community Gardens Project at the Park Maintenance facility at 220 Aiken Street. Create crafts from recycled materials, tour the greenhouse and learn about nature, gardening & our environment. A dozen non-profits will help collect household goods and recyclables. Featuring Radio Disney & Next Step Living. For more information:978-674-4309

South Common Haiku Book Project

A special event at the Edith Nourse Rogers School at 43 Highland Street.

2 pm: Guided tour of the South Common Historic District with community scholar Dick Howe Jr. Anyone who has been on Dick’s Lowell Cemetery tours and other walks around town knows this will be a great take.

2 pm to 4.30 pm: Indoor activities at the Rogers School (use main entrance and go downstairs). Join a book-binding workshop led by artist Susan Kapuscinski Gaylord and make your own pocket-sized copy of a book of my South Common haiku written last fall and winter. Everyone can make one book and take it home. We will have all the materials, including small sticks picked up from the Common that will be used in the binding. Musician Joe Darensbourg will play an unplugged set or two to liven up the workshop atmosphere. City planner Allegra Williams will be on hand to show and talk about the inspiring new design drawings for landscape improvements forthcoming at the Common.

The South Common is one of the largest public green spaces in the city but one that needs more community stewardship. For more information: paul_marion@uml.edu