Earth Day 2026 in Johnston: Showing Up for the River & Greenway

This year’s Earth Day Celebration and Clean Day in Johnston was simply the best. Good people, meaningful work, and a shared love for the Woonasquatucket.

On April 25, 130 friends and neighbors joined us from across the watershed. Some came ready to get their hands dirty, others came to learn, connect, or just spend time outside. However they showed up, it mattered.

Getting the Work Done

Our cleanup crews got right to it and made a real impact. By the end of the day, volunteers had collected 29 bags of trash and 8 cubic yards of debris along the Greenway.

At the same time, folks were planting blueberry bushes, spreading mulch, and helping care for the landscape. These are the small, steady actions that add up over time and make this space healthier for people, pollinators, and the river itself.

Community Makes the Day

We are really grateful to the partners who spent the day with us, sharing their work and connecting with the community. Thank you to Tri-County Community Action Agency, Zero Waste Providence, Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park, Northern Rhode Island Conservation District, MyCoast, The Hub, Recycle-a-bike, and 15 Minute Field Trips. You brought knowledge, energy, and a lot of great conversations.

Huge thank you to Bozzuto, American Automobile Association, and Onward We Learn for organizing and recruiting fabulous volunteer teams.

A special shoutout to Dot, our volunteer photographer, who captured the day as it happened. Those photos help us tell this story long after the last bag of trash is collected.

Not Just a Cleanup

There was plenty of work, but also plenty of fun.

Music from Traveling Light (and our fearless leader, Alicia J. Lehrer) kept things going all day. Big Nazo showed up in full form and got people dancing, as they always do.

The Kid Zone stayed busy with crafts, face painting, and hands-on activities led by our Education Department and FrogWatch Team—seed bombs, frog sculptures, and paper art. We were also so stoked to have our Bike Team present with helmets and bikes for folks to borrow and zip around the Greenway.

And of course, the food! Huge thanks to Gather Ice Cream, This Guy’s Pizza, and New Harvest Coffee Roasters for taking care of us.

Thank You

We truly could not do this without our sponsors. Thank you to Bozzuto, Spin, Harkins Wealth Management, LLC, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Narragansett Bay Commission, Rhode Island Department of Transportation, Narragansett Creamery, Jacavone Garden Center, GatherWealth Investment Management and Gather Ice Cream, The Washington Trust Company, United Way of Rhode Island, and Rhode Island Energy.

That’s What It’s About

At the end of the day, Earth Day is about showing up. For the river, for your neighbors, for your community.

And this year, you did.