316 United Newsletter 4/18/2025

Mark your calendar for upcoming Earth Day events

April 18, 2025

Here is your reminder to come to 🌍 Earth Day ICT 2025, Saturday, April 26 | 1–4 PM | LW Clapp Park | 4611 E Harry St, Wichita, KS 🌿

🌱 Why should you come? Because we’ve got big goals:

  • ♻️ Host a zero-waste event

  • 💧 Share tips to save water during Wichita’s drought

  • 🌬️ Promote clean air and climate awareness

  • ☀️ Teach how to use solar power at home

  • 🌼 Help you make your garden and lawn more drought-resilient

  • 📚 Offer environmental education for all ages

  • 🛍️ Encourage businesses and individuals to ditch single-use plastics

  • ⚡ Promote local action to reduce energy use and fight climate change

  • 🌎 Connect YOU with ways to make a real impact in our community

WHO WILL BE THERE?

  • Meet Mike Hoheisel, District 3 Council Member,

  • Wichita Riverwalk Clean Up Crew - Krystina Furst

  • Wichita Clean Streams - Becky Lewis

  • Dept of Public Works Air and Water – Lizeth Ortega and Ethan Kershaw

  • Plastic Free Wichita - Lori Lawrence

  • Drive Electric ICT- Jennifer Connelly and Kent Rowe

  • Solar Energy - Jennifer Connelly and Kent Rowe

  • ICT Trees – Harold Schlechtweg and Elizabeth Bishop

  • ICT Treehuggers – Sarah Meyers

  • Grassland Groupies and Bee City Wichita – Nicole Brown

  • Sedgwick County Master Gardeners - Brenda Compton

  • Mayors Council on Youth –

  • Metro Energy - Jenna Znamenak

  • Climate and Energy - Lindsay Hamilton

  • PRo Kansas Recycling – Hollie Burris

  • Sedgwick Co Environment - Susan Erlenwein

  • Sustainability Integration Board - Jessica Maldonado

  • Kansas Native Plant Society - Krista Dahlinger

  • Kansas Permaculture Institute - Amber Thumann

  • Grab your family, your reusable water bottle, and your curiosity — we’ll see you at the park!

Upcoming Local Events

Documentary & Talk: "Hot Times in the Heartland"

Saturday, April 19, 2025 2 pm - 4 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W 2nd St N. Wichita KS. Join us for a screening of "Hot Times in the Heartland," a documentary about the impacts of climate change in Kansas, followed by discussion and Q&A with Ethan Kershaw, Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Wichita's Department of Public Works and Utilities.

wichitalibrary.libnet.info/event/12434346

Earth Day Walk in the Park with Inner Wellness ICT

Sunday, April 20 2025 3-4:30 pm We will meet at Sedgwick County Park in the parking lot nearest to 13th St. and we will walk for about an hour. This is a family event so bring your children, bring your dogs. What better way to celebrate earth than to be together as a community.

www.facebook.com/share/18EfaCBJLv

Air Quality and Health Education Event

April 21st, 12:30-2:00 PM @ Evergreen Community Center & Library by Lizeth Ortega, Environmental Quality Specialist, City of Wichita. Learn more about the impact local air quality has on your health and what the City of Wichita's air quality program does to protect and inform the Wichita metropolitan area. Check out the link for virtual options.

www.wichita.gov/963/Sustainability

Earth Day with Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita

April 22nd, 2:00-4:00 PM @ Evergreen Community Center & Library, Health and Wellness Coalition of Wichita Meeting- Environment and Health. Check the website for updated information and for a virtual link

https://www.wichita.gov/963/Sustainabili

Three Billions Birds Lost and What to do about it

Tuesday, April 22, 2025 6 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W 2nd St N. Presentation by Dr. Jackie Augustine, Executive Director of Audubon. She will share ways you can help prevent further losses through advocacy for environmentally friendly legislation or by improving habitats in your own neighborhood.

www.facebook.com/share/14e92Nufq5

Sustainability Integration Board Meeting

Wednesday, April 23, 2025, 6:15 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W 2nd St N., 2nd floor Board Room. Join in-person or check out the link on the website to join the meeting on Zoom.

www.wichita.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=2599

Empower Offices and Commercial Kitchens Grand Opening! - Empower

Friday, April 25, 2025 3pm-9pm Empower Office and Commercial Kitchens, 103 E 21st St. N. Wichita, KS. It’s finally here—our dream is now a reality! We’re thrilled to invite you to the grand opening of our new commercial kitchen—a space designed to a space designed to empower local entrepreneurs, inspire small businesses, and strengthen our community.

empowernorthend.org/event/grand-opening

Downtown Clean-Up

Saturday, April 26, 2025 9 a.m. to Noon
Check-in at 505 E. Douglas Ave.
Lunch will be provided afterward at Naftzger Park. Volunteers MUST sign up at this link.

downtownwichita.org/cleanupdetails

Riverside Pollinator Project

Saturday, April 26 2025, 10am - Noon Riverside Gardens, 802 Amidon St. Join Riverside Garden for the Riverside Pollinator Project, their annual celebration of Earth Day. Take home native pollinator plants and bring seeds or plants to share. Sedgwick County Master Gardeners will have a seed planting activity for kids. Thanks to Hidden River Prairie Nursery for donating their plants.

www.facebook.com/share/1MjazKoMZq

EARTH DAY 2025 - L. W. CLAPP PARK 🌎

Saturday, April 26, 2025 1-4pm, 4611 E Harry St, Wichita Join us for a fun-filled, family-friendly afternoon dedicated to water conservation, recycling resources, and outdoor activities.

www.facebook.com/share/1665VxrdES

Earth Day Festival & Starter Plant Sale

Sunday, April 27 2025 10 am-2pm 15615 E 21st Street NorthFirefly Farm, Firefly Food Hub and Leah Dannar-Garcia Earth Day Festival & Starter Plant Sale. This is a VERY POPULAR - plan to arrive early.

www.facebook.com/share/1AgnuuqbxJ

FloraKansas Spring Native Plant Days - Dyck Arboretum of the Plains

April 25-April 28 177 West Hickory, Hesston KS. See website for the times. These are plants that adapt to Kansas’ challenging climate. Check out the list of native plants on the webpage.

dyckarboretum.org/arboretum-event/florakansas-spring

Kansas Wildlife Exhibit

Sunday April 27 2025, 10am Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, 700 N Nims, Wichita, KS Join us as we plant native pollinator plants at the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit. A big thanks to Friends of the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit and the Bee City Wichita collaborative for designing the landscape plan and purchasing the plants. Stay for the animal feeding time at noon.

www.facebook.com/KansasWildlifeExhibit

Let’s get outdoors every week!

Family Gardening Saturday

Saturday, April 19 2025 8 am, Gardening event by ICT Treehuggers at Safe Streets, 1200 E Waterman. Learn about the ICT Treehuggers and get involved in Community Gardening. Come at 8 am for our coffee social before going out into the community to garden

www.facebook.com/share/1CW6VSHu3T

ICT Farms Co.

ICT Farms are creating real change. Join them in regenerating our communities! Many opportunities to volunteer during the week, weekends, or evenings. Also at numerous locations. Check out their website for more info.

ictfarms.com/volunteer

Every Saturday »Kansas Grown! Farmers Market

7100 W 21st St N. 8am - Noon. Kansas Grown! farmers markets offer a variety of special events throughout the year, including Kids' Day, Tomato Fest, Stone Soup Day, and many others.

www.kansas-grown.com/event-calendar

Every Saturday » Old Town Farm and Art Market

Old Town, East 1st St and N. Mosley, Wichita, April-October 8:00am-1:00pm Food, Art, Artisan Goods, Live Music, Street Entertainers, and so much more.

www.oldtownfarmandartmarket.com

Coffee Social : Treehugger Tuesday

Tuesday, April 22 2025 9am Coffee, Community, & Cultivation @Safe Streets, 1200 E Waterman, 9 am
We start our day with a cozy coffee social while watching the City Council livestream, chatting about local happenings, and sharing resources. Afterward, we head out into the community to garden together. Bring your favorite mug, your ideas, and your green thumb (or borrow one of ours).

www.facebook.com/share/16BMy33m47

RECYCLE - REUSE - CONSERVE

Water Conservation-Free low flow shower heads

Starting on April 14, City of Wichita water customers can pick up a FREE low-flow shower head  or sink aerator while supplies last at the City Hall information desk, one of our Wichita Public Library locations, or a City of Wichita neighborhood resource center. 

www.wichita.gov/507/Water-Conservation-Rebate-Program

PRo Kansas Recycling

725 E. Clark, Wichita, KS. Open Saturdays 9 am-3 pm and Tuesdays and Thursdays 1 pm-4 pm. Recycle your glass, tin cans, plastic, cardboard, office paper, magazines and more,

prokansasrecycling.org

Got ideas or need suggestions on getting more involved? Drop me an email at [email protected]. Together we can make our city and our world a better place.