I had the opportunity to participate in the annual Earth Day cleanup at Laurel Park in Warren this past weekend. Laurel Park is situated on the Kickemuit River in Warren, RI. The Laurel Park Improvement Association sponsored the event. Visit their site for more information.

T-Shirts and clean-up bags were supplied as well breakfast and lunch. It was a beautiful day and helping to clean one of Rhode Island’s most picturesque locations was truly a pleasure.

See a highlight video below:

It’s Earth Day 2010. We are all becoming more aware of our environment and the impact we have on its condition. This weekend there will be many opportunities to clean our neighborhoods and shorelines or recycle old electronics that are hazardous to the environment. Many local fundraisers are taking place, but you can also do your part in celebrating Earth Day by simply turning off electronics and lights that are not needed, not allowing the water to run in your sink, or picking up trash around your yard, sidewalks and neighborhood.

In Providence, Waterfire is hosting “Earth Day Waterfire Clean Up” on Saturday. This event starts at 10am and will run until 4pm. Along with the clean up there will be an E-Waste Collection Fundraiser sponsored by Waterfire and Office Recycling Solutions (ORS). Old electronics can be hazardous if not disposed of properly; this event is an opportunity to hand over old broken or unused electronics at the parking lot behind Café Nuovo and Citizens Plaza. For just $1 per item, ORS will properly recycle your old electronics and keep them away from landfills, all proceeds will go straight to Waterfire Providence.

Further south,  Save the Bay will celebrate its 40th Anniversary through the Earth Day Shoreline Cleanups from 9am-11am. Opportunities to volunteer can be found at Easton’s Beach in Newport, Bristol Harbor Shoreline, Misquamicut Beach in Westerly and at the Save the Bay Center, Providence. Volunteers are asked to sign up by contacting Save the Bay.

At the East Bay, you can join Tom Flanagan , Residential Properties’ Director of IT, at Laurel Park in Warren. Laurel Park Improvement Association is sponsoring a clean up that starts at 9am on Saturday, volunteers are asked to meet at the Luther Memorial Playground.

There are many events taking place over the course of the weekend in celebration of Earth Day, which is officially today. What Grows On in Rhode Island has a comprehensive list of many events taking place this weekend. Many opportunities exist to get involved and spend some time outdoors taking care of our environment.

In celebration of Earth Day, here are a few of our favorite local green sites:

• farmfreshri.org Links local farmers and buyers
• ripower.org Sustainable and affordable energy
• directory.sustainableri.org Sustainable living directory
• resourcexchange.org To find or dispose of reusable items
• cleanscape.com Local shredding, landscaping and recycling services
• naturalnews.net Rhode Island’s own online magazine about the environment

Did we forget something? Feel free to add to our list in the comments section!