Since 1970, Earth Day, considered by many to be the beginning of the modern environmental movement, is celebrated on April 22. This event is marked by worldwide efforts to raise awareness about the environmental concerns of our time, from climate change to plastics filling the oceans, and everything in between. It is an occasion for millions to come together to celebrate the Earth and work together to protect it. This April, we are extending our Earth Day celebration to fill the entire month.

No matter where we live, we can positively impact the natural community we live in, both near and far, by buying and eating local. On April 25, we’re hosting a dinner and discussion focused on local food, including the opportunities for strengthening and supporting our own local food system. The event will be held at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center, located at 58 Barre Street in Montpelier, and will be from 5:30-8pm. Learn more and register for the event here.

On April 27, we will be hosting Sustainability Saturday, in partnership with Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District. From 8am-2pm, there will be a book/clothing swap under the tent in our parking lot as well as battery and cell phone recycling. Read all about the event and everything happening that day here.

Buying in bulk is an economically and environmentally friendly way to shop and April is the perfect time to come in and talk to our bulk staff to learn about what we carry while getting some fantastic deals. In addition to the other sales, one bulk favorite will be on sale at 35% off each day between April 1-26 (except for April 21, when the store will be closed). Check out the full list of daily sale items here. On Saturday, April 27, customers will save 5% on bulk food purchases, and there will be a bulk expert in the aisle that day, from 11am-3pm to answer any questions.

All month, you can find our “green picks” on social media and on our shelves, pointing you towards other products that are especially sustainable, eco-friendly or environmentally responsible. We’ll also have some fantastic raffles, running the week of Earth Day, including a $100 Co-op gift card.

Our Earth Month celebration will also include a number of workshops, offered by a variety of our local environmental nonprofit organizations. Workshops are free unless otherwise noted and are typically held in our upstairs Community Room, with access to an elevator upon request. Space is limited and pre-registration is encouraged. To reserve a seat for any of our workshops, you can sign up on the bulletin board in our exit way, call us at 802-262-3202 or use this online form.

Restoring the American Elm
Presented by The Nature Conservancy
Monday, April 8
6:30-7:30pm

The Nature Conservancy’s Restoration & Ecological Management Fellow, Megan Gordon, presents this workshop on the American Elm, once the largest, longest-lived tree in the northern floodplains. Their demise in the 1970’s left a niche unfilled, which is why The Nature Conservancy plants genetically diverse elms to restore floodplains. Come learn about elm history & the journey to revive them on Vermont’s landscapes.

Face the River: Restoring a Healthy Connection Between Montpelier & its Rivers
Presented by Vermont River Conservancy and Friends of the Winooski River
Wednesday, April 10
5:30-7pm

In this presentation, VRC’s Richarda Ericson and FWR’s Michele Braun will reflect on the role of rivers in Montpelier’s history and discuss current projects and opportunities to “Face the River,” as well as tangible ways city residents can make a positive impact on the health of our rivers.

Current State of Energy in Vermont
Presented by Vermont Natural Resources Council
Thursday, April 11
5:30-6:30pm

VNRC Community Organizer Ian Hitchcock will discuss the current state of energy in Vermont and where we go from here.

The Power of Nature
Presented by The Nature Conservancy
Tuesday, April 16
6:30-7:30pm

Rose Paul, The Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science & Freshwater, offers a presentation designed to help attendees better understand natural assets in their community and how to protect and restore them for improved water quality, flood resiliency, and many other benefits. Together, we can build a resilient Vermont in which people and nature can thrive.

Meet Rural Vermont – Please Note, this workshop has been cancelled
Presented by Rural Vermont
Wednesday, April 17
5-6:30pm

Rural Vermont’s Communications Coordinator, Ben Hewitt, and Policy Intern Caroline Gordon provide an opportunity to meet your local small farm advocacy organization, and to learn about the past and current work they do to cultivate local agricultural and food systems that nourish the very communities in which they are nested.

Vermont’s Farming Heritage and the Next Generation of Farmers
Presented by Vermont Land Trust
Thursday, April 18
5:15-6:30pm

Acquiring affordable land is a huge obstacle for beginning farmers. Vermont Land Trust created the Farmland Access Program to help entrepreneurial farmers find affordable farms of their own. Learn about the program’s successes, including farms that sell to Hunger Mountain Co-op. Jon Ramsay, Director of the Farmland Access Program at Vermont Land Trust, will be joined by Elise and Kagen Dewey, of Littlewood Farm in Plainfield, VT

Off Grid Living vs Living On the Grid
Presented by Catamount Solar
Monday, Apirl 22
5:30-6:30pm

Meet industry professionals from Catamount Solar, Vermont’s worker cooperative solar company, to learn the basics of designing, installing and operating a photovoltaic system. Join us as we take an in-depth look at off-grid solar, battery back-up and traditional grid-tied solar. If you’re planning on building your own system or are currently looking into solar for your home, farm or business, this introductory workshop is for you!

Gleaning and Our View of Food
Presented by Community Harvest of Central Vermont
Wednesday, April 24
6-7:30pm

Allison Levin, Director of Community Harvest of Central Vermont, takes you through the lens of gleaning to explore your relationship with food. This presentation will focus on gleaning in our area and will be followed by an open discussion of using/eating imperfect food, reducing wasted food, and knowing local farms better, among other topics.

Compost Basics
Presented by Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District
Saturday, April 27
11am-Noon

CVSWMD’s Outreach Manager Cassandra Hemenway will show you some easy ways to get started composting and do it successfully, and will review other ways to keep your food scraps out of the trash. You’ll learn strategies for jump-starting an old pile, how to keep smells down, and animals out. She’ll talk to you about managing food scraps, why they break down, and how to use food scraps as a resource in your own yard. Everyone goes home with a starter kit.

Recycle Right, from Blue Bin to Beyond
Presented by Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District
Saturday, April 27
1-2pm

Are you ready to improve your recycling game? CVSWMD’s Outreach Manager, Cassandra Hemenway, will answer all of your recycling questions in this in-depth workshop. Come learn the overview of Vermont’s recycling laws, what goes in/what stays OUT of your recycling bin, and what “additional” recycling is and how to do it right and how to avoid “wish cycling.”

Vermont Grape Varieties & Organic Wine Tasting
Presented by Vermont Fresh Network and Montpelier Vineyards
Monday, April 29
5:30-6:30pm

Join Doug Becker of Montpelier Vineyards and Zea Luce from Vermont Fresh Network for a fun, educational, and delicious mini-workshop on Vermont grapes and wine. Learn about the winery’s new releases and participate in a tasting. Public & restaurant staff welcome. There will be a $5.00 fee to attend.

Birding at Hunger Mountain Co-op
Presented by North Branch Nature Center
Tuesday, April 30
8-9:30am

Join North Branch Nature Center’s Executive Director, Chip Darmstadt, on an easy walk from the Co-op along Stone Cutters Way, discovering the birds that are attracted to the Winooski River and riverside habitats. Gray Catbirds, Yellow Warblers, Common Mergansers, and maybe even a Bald Eagle are all possible! Beginners welcome and loaner binoculars will be available. Participants can meet in front of Co-op by entrance at 8am.

A Growing Threat: Invasive Plants and What You Can Do
Presented by Vermont Land Trust
Tuesday, April 30
5:15-6:30pm

Vermont Land Trust’s Pieter Van Loon, Director of Forest Stewardship, and Caitlin Cusack, Stewardship Forester, will teach you about invasive plants in Vermont, the harm they do, and their impact on our recreation and natural resource economy. They will share techniques for controlling invasives and show examples of successful management.

Many of these nonprofits and others will also be tabling at the Co-op, offering information about their essential and invaluable programs. The tabling schedule is:

April 4
Rural Vermont
3-6pm

April 5
North Branch Nature Center
4-6pm

April 8
Vermont Natural Resources Council
11:30am-2pm

April 9
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
11am-2pm

April 10
Community Harvest of Central Vermont
11am-2:30pm

April 11
NOFA-VT
11am-1pm

April 17
Vermont Land Trust
11:30am-1:30pm

April 19
North Branch Nature Center
4-6pm

April 22
Vermont Youth Conservation Corps
11am-2pm

April 24
Community Harvest of Central Vermont
11am-2:30pm

April 27
North Branch Nature Center
11am-2pm