Earth Day: Invest in Our Planet

April 23, 2022  9:30 am - 12:00 pm 
How you will celebrate Earth Day this year?  There's no shortage of activities that are good for your health and our environment.
For years Friends of Main Street has organized its cleanups along the historic Mad River, with volunteers bringing their own tools trimming — or hacking — away at years' worth of weeds and undergrowth and trash.

Over the past few years, the Board of Selectmen and town management have, for the public's safety, had the overgrowth that was not safe for volunteers to reach along the banks of the Mad River trimmed with an ongoing maintenance plan. Today we can now enjoy the beauty of this river, the walking path, bridges, and historic mill buildings.

However, to continue to maintain our beautiful downtown area, lakes, rivers and trails, we need help removing accumulated trash around town. And what better time to kick it off than Earth Day every year!
WHERE:  Meet Us on Main Street!
Friends of Main Street will be setting up an information tent on the sidewalk at 372-378 Main Street (in between Monaco's Ristorante and the Faith Bible Church.  Follow all COVID guidelines: Wear a mask, observe 6ft. distancing, bring and wear gloves. Friends of Main Street will provide Eco-Friendly trash bag and latex gloves, if needed. 
  • Pick up Trash*: Get your Eco-Friendly trash bag and latex gloves, if needed, at the Friends of Main Street TENT (April 24 at 9:30 am). Fill up a bag of trash on your street or locations downtown i.e. East End Park, Rowley Street around recreational fields and parking lots, Willow Street, including the Skate Park and parking lots, to Bridge Street, all along Main Street (river and retail sides), the old Rail Trail behind Mad River Lofts to Prospect Street.   At 12:00 pm, bring your filled trash bag to the Public Works truck for pizza from local restaurants.

Learn about Recycling, Buy a Plant and Take a Walk, Ride or Hike!

  • Learn about Recycling from RRDD1's administrator Debbie Angell!  Debbie has "Rocky Raccoon" teaching workbooks for children, recycling twist-off rubber mats for opening tough jars. She will also have a container split into three areas to show you how to properly handle kitchen food waste and samples of biodegradable bags from BioBag in three sizes.​
  • Buy a Plant, or start a seedling!: Check out Plant Life Aficionado at 6o Main Street – bring the outdoors in!  And enjoy a bake sale too!
  • Walk, Ride, Hike: Enjoy the Sue Grossman Still River Greenway (parking 18 Lanson Dr., Winsted) – 40,000 enjoy that greenway annually!  Reach out to Winsted Trails or the Winchester Land Trust to see if they are scheduling any guided hikes? ​  Don't forget to bring a bag to pick up any trash you may find along the way. 
"Leave this world a little better than you found it"  – Robert Baden-Powell, Founder of the Scout Movement
*Instructions for those picking up trash:  Have fun and be safe – Priority No. 1!  Everyone should wear a mask (even if vaccinated), observe 6ft. distancing, bring and wear gloves.  Please wear comfortable walking shoes, old clothing, and a bright color/reflective jacket or shirt. Protect yourself from ticks: Wear long clothing with pants that tuck into socks.  All clothing should be washed (in case of ticks), and a shower taken immediately upon returning home.  An adult should accompany all children. Watch out for broken glass, and do not pick it up.  Small nipper bottles should be included with the trash bag.  Keep soda cans and any glass in a separate bag from trash to be properly recycled at RRDD1.  Friends of Main Street Winsted (FOMS) will not be responsible for bodily injury, property damage, COVID/illness that may occur due to this clean-up.