From building fairy houses to bird walks and riverbank cleanups, Lawrence has Earth Day events coming up over the next two weekends for nature-minded community members. 

All events are free to attend. If an event requires registration, instructions are listed below.

Saturday, April 18

• 9 to 11 a.m.: Friends of the Kaw is hosting the 12th annual Kansas Riverbank Cleanup. Participants will be divided into teams to pick up trash and litter from the riverbank below the Bowersock Dam. Organizers ask that people RSVP at this link.

→ In the city parking lot on the southeast corner of North Second Street and Locust Avenue

• 9 to 11 a.m.: Local authors and artists will gather at the Wakarusa Wetlands Celebration to share their creative work and their connections to the wetlands with the public. The lineup includes Daniel Wildcat, Yuchi Member of the Muscogee Nation; Ron Brave, Lakota; Alex Kimball Williams, Aleut; and more.

The event will be held at the Medicine Wheel Earthwork south of the Haskell campus buildings. Organizers recommend bringing a refillable water bottle, lawn chair or blanket and to arrive at least 15 minutes early to allow time to walk from the road to the Medicine Wheel. In case of inclement weather, the event will be moved to April 25.

The event is hosted by the Lawrence Public Library, Haskell Indian Nations University and Raven Book Store.

→ Directions for parking, registration and a full list of artists are available at this link.

• 1 to 4 p.m.: The city’s fourth annual Earth Day Fair will feature earth-friendly crafts and family activities. The free event will be hosted by the Watkins Museum of History and the City of Lawrence, but more than 25 other local organizations will be present with activities to celebrate the holiday.

→ At South Park, 1141 Massachusetts St.

Wednesday, April 22

6 to 8 p.m.: Haskell Indian Nations University’s Native Dance Class and American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) Chapter are inviting the public to the Celebrating Mother Earth Traditional Powwow.

The powwow is set to hold specials such as Grass vs. Jingle, a potato dance, a round dance segment and more. More information can be found via the Haskell Greenhouse Facebook page. No RSVP is required.

→ At the Haskell Powwow Grounds on West Perimeter Road on campus

Friday, April 24

• 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.: The Lawrence Public Library will celebrate Earth Day by building fairy houses with found materials. Those who attend can either drop by for part of the time or stay the full two hours. The event is geared toward attendees ages 5 to 18.

→ In the Lawrence Public Library auditorium, 707 Vermont St.

Saturday, April 25

• 8 to 10 a.m.: Roger Boyd and the Lawrence Bird Alliance will hold the annual Baker Wetlands Bird Walk, which happens during the spring bird migration. The event is open to all.

→ Begins at the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center, 1365 North 1250 Road

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: The Kansas Geological Survey will host a family-friendly Earth Day celebration with the U.S. Geological Survey and Friends of the Kaw. Activities include creating an earthquake, playing science board games, painting a pet rock and making edible soil. The geological survey also encourages attendees to bring their own unidentified rocks, which a KGS scientist can help identify.

→ At 1930 Constant Ave.

• 10 a.m. to noon: The Kansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research will be holding a grand opening for the new Rice Woodland Trail at the Baldwin Woods Forest Preserve. This is the first public trail to open at Baldwin Woods. Learn more in this article.

→ At the Rice Woodland trail, 1727 North 500 Road in Baldwin City

Available all April

• Cans for the Community is a local group that has been collecting aluminum cans and donating the funds gained from recycling them to other local charities and organizations since 2005. The organization has a goal to recycle 5,000 pounds of aluminum cans throughout the month of April. 

All proceeds will be donated to Lawrence Public Schools. The organization has aluminum can dropoff bins located around the city.

• A tree tour of the Lawrence Rotary Arboretum, 5100 W. 27th St., is available the entire month using a digital map that displays the different tree species. See the map at this link.

Note: Post updated at 1:17 p.m. Wednesday, April 15 to add an event

Logan Pierson (he/him), reporting intern with The Lawrence Times since December 2025, is a senior journalism and photography student at the University of Kansas. He previously contributed to the University Daily Kansan as a senior reporter and beat reporter.

Read his work for the Times here.

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