April Is Full of Earth-Friendly Events

Earth Day is April 22 but environmentally themed events are happening throughout the month in and around Farmington:

April 6: Frank Horvat in Concert
Canadian pianist and composer Frank Horvat performs original music, inspired by Earth Hour, in a completely dark performance hall at the University of Hartford. Admission is free.  Horvat's CD, A Little Dark Music, will be available for purchase at the show and 25 percent of the proceeds will go to the World Wildlife Fund. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at the Berkman Recital Hall at The Hartt School, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford.

April 16: Community Shredding Event
The Shred-It van will be at The Investors Center at 70 East Main St. in Avon from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. to shred sensitive documents for the public at no cost. The event is sponsored by The Investors Center. All shredded paper will be recycled.

April 28: Farmington Springs into Green
Farmington's Green Efforts Committee will offer advice, literature and the opportunity to buy low-cost rain barrels and compost pits through the Farmington River Watershed Association. The fair will also feature environmentally conscious organizations and firms.

April 30: Town-Wide Cleanup
The town's 14th annual Town-Wide Cleanup will be held from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. Volunteers are invited to stop by the Farmington Volunteer Fire Department station at 76 Main St., where REI will hand out prizes, water bottles and trash bags.  T-shirts will be distributed at the station from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. while supplies last. Volunteers will also gather at the Tunxis Hose Firehouse at 11 School St., Unionville, and the Irving Robbins Middle School, 20 Wolf Pit Road. 

April 30: Hazardous Waste Collection
Residents of West Hartford and other Metropolitan District Commission towns are invited to drop off household hazardous waste at Farmington High School for safe disposal. A list of materials that will be accepted and other guidelines are available at www.themdc.com/haz10infopack.pdf. The collection will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the high school, 6 Monteith Drive.

May 1: Trail-Wide Cleanup Day
The Farmington Valley Trails Council will hold its second annual Trail-Wide Cleanup Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers will cover a one-mile stretch of the trail from one of three staging areas: The Brickyard Trail Shelter on Brickyard Road in Farmington; Iron Horse Boulevard in Simsbury; and the River Trail Pavilion at Route 4 in Unionville. Volunteers may register in advance at www.fvgreenway.org.