Earth Day 2025

This year, the theme for Earth Day is Open your eyes to Protect Biodiversity.

The goal is to encourage people to reconnect with nature and better understand the importance of preserving biodiversity for ecosystem balance, food security, and resilience to climate change. Protecting biodiversity is essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems, regulating the climate, pollinating crops, and purifying water—services that are vital to human life. Every species, whether animal or plant, plays a unique role, and their disappearance threatens ecological stability and our own survival.

This Earth Day, take some time to head out into nature and observe as many species as you can. Reconnect with the land that makes up Russell Township!

Community Events

As part of the Township Climate Action Plan, the Township of Russell and the Environmental and Sustainability Advisory Committee invited schools to develop ideas for activities in support of this year’s Earth Day (April 22, 2025). One activity suggestion was to build bird houses to attract birds. Did you know that several types of birds found in our region eat mosquitoes? It’s a win-win activity!

If you would like to learn how to build a bird house for your property, please consult this link: https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/

Several environmental events will also take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025 across our community:

• Community Clean-Up Day: Residents are encouraged to help us make our community cleaner by cleaning parks and neighborhoods. You can leave the bags at the curb. No tags required.
• The New York Central Recreational Trail Clean-Up: between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m., members of the Township’s Environmental and Sustainability Advisory Committee invite you to join them in cleaning up the recreational trail. Committee members will be located at key entry points along the trail to provide gloves and bags. Please dress appropriately (long sleeves and pants are recommended).

We would like to thank the following local businesses for their donations in support of the trail clean-up event: Co-operators and Embrun Co-op.

More info can be found on the Township’s community calendar at www.russell.ca/calendar.