The city of Winter Park Natural Resources & Sustainability Department and the Keep Winter Park Beautiful & Sustainable program are preparing to celebrate Earth Month with an event schedule that begins with an effort to beautify parks and public areas before the country’s 250th birthday.
The Greatest American Cleanup is a call to action, organized by Keep America Beautiful, that encourages community involvement in beautifying parks, public spaces, and waterways. The goal of removing 25 billion pieces of litter from 25,000 communities is targeted for completion by the 250th Anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026.
Residents are encouraged to take part by volunteering on Saturday, April 5, from 9 to 11 a.m. at one of five Winter Park cleanup locations:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Park
- Ward Park
- Park Avenue
- Howell Branch Preserve
- Lake Baldwin Park’s off-leash area
Volunteers can register here.
The celebration of sustainability will continue on Saturday, April 26, with Winter Park’s Ward & Wellbeing Earth Day Block Party at Ward Park, 250 Perth Ln. Programming is presented in partnership with the Center for Health & Wellbeing, located at 2005 Mizell Ave.
The day begins at 7:30 a.m. with the 32nd Run for the Trees Jeannette Genius McKean Memorial 5K. Participants will run or walk a course that includes a mile through Genius Drive: the old Florida wilderness road only opened to the public for this event. Registration and information are available at trackshack.com.
The day continues with the Earth Day Block Party, 8-11 a.m., with family-friendly activities in Ward Park and at the Center for Health & Wellbeing. The following activities will be hosted at Ward Park:
- Vendors
- Family-friendly art projects
- Free Kona Ice and face painting
- Wild animal meet & greet
The following activities will be hosted at the Center for Health & Wellbeing:
- Farm to Fridge: How to Store Your Produce with Lifestyle Medicine Physician Dr. Laura Varich
- Earth Day Family Art Project with Local Artist Kaileigh Anne Tayek
- Commons Co-Op Pop-Up Shop featuring Local Vendors and Green Products
- Family Yoga with Crosby Wellness Center’s Fitness Staff
- Crystal Sound Bowl Meditation with Crosby Wellness Center’s Fitness Staff
- Earth-Day Inspired Mocktail Tasting with Julie Ward, Certified ACE Health Coach
- Meet the Teams from AdventHealth Practices and Services at the Center for Health & Wellbeing
- Giveaways, Bubble Machine, and Yard Games
Parking will be available at Brookshire Elementary, Cady Way Park, the Center for Health & Wellbeing parking garage, Ward Park lot and fields B and C, and at Winter Park Presbyterian Church.
For more information, email sustainability@cityofwinterpark.org or call 407-599-3479.