photo by: Watkins Museum of History

With Earth Day approaching on April 22, Lawrence has many opportunities to get outside, learn about the environment and take part in hands-on conservation efforts.

Here’s a look at several Earth Day-themed events happening in and around Lawrence:

• Friends of the Kaw will have its 12th annual Kansas Riverbank Cleanup in Lawrence on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participants can meet in the city parking lot on the southeast corner of North Second and Locust streets. From there, people will divide into teams to pick up litter from the riverbank below Bowersock Dam. People interested can RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/mr442kuc.

• The Prairie Park Nature Center will be offering a morning of canoeing while learning about conservation topics on Mary Lake. The event will be on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at 2730 Harper St. It costs $30 per person, and pre-registration is required at https://tinyurl.com/mvc9hh26.

• The City of Lawrence and the Watkins Museum of History will be hosting the fourth annual Earth Day Fair in South Park, 1141 Massachusetts St., on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The public event will feature earth-friendly crafts and activities. Attendees should bring one recyclable aluminum can for Cans for the Community, which will be set up on the east side of South Park.

• The fifth annual Wakarusa Wetlands Celebration will be on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at 155 E. Indian Ave., Barker Avenue and Perimeter Road. The event will begin with a special land recognition, south of Perimeter Road and Barker Avenue. Daniel Wildcat and other local authors and artists will share the connections of their artwork to the wetlands. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a refillable water bottle.

• Haskell Greenhouse and Native Lands Restoration will host an event at the Haskell Wetlands on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. to help clear invasive species and return native plants to the land. Participants will help anchor soil, filter water and work to provide a healthy habitat for the animals that visit. People will meet at the south end of Barker Avenue and walk into the wetlands as a group. RSVP to NativeLandsKS@gmail.com to be informed of any schedule changes.

• An Earth-Day cleanup at Haskell Wetlands will be on Wednesday, April 22, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., meeting at the medicine wheel south of 155 Indian Ave. at the wetlands.

• Haskell Indian Nations University students will be hosting their Celebrating Mother Earth Traditional Powwow at the Haskell Powwow Grounds, 2411 Barker Ave., on Wednesday, April 22, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• The Kansas Geological Survey will have a number of family-friendly activities and the opportunity to meet its scientists on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 1930 Constant Ave. Activities include creating your own earthquake, experimenting on the organization’s stream table, painting a pet rock. The event is free and open to the public.

• The University of Kansas Field Station will launch the grand opening of a new trail at the Rice Woodland on Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to noon, as the Journal-World reported. The trail is approximately 1.5 miles long including several interconnected loops, and it can be accessed at 1727 North 500 Road in Baldwin City. This will be the first public-access trail through the broader Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve.

• The Lawrence Farmers Market is open on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in downtown Lawrence, 824 New Hampshire St. The 2026 season officially opened on April 11 and runs through Nov. 21, featuring over 70 vendors selling local produce, meat and artisanal goods.