The West Bloomington Revitalization Project (WBRP) is hosting various activities to celebrate Earth Day on Saturday.
Students from the Illinois Wesleyan University Action Resource Seminar have helped to arrange a neighborhood cleanup. It will also begin at 9 a.m. and wrap up at noon. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for a specific job and shift.
Partnering with the IWU Peace Gardens, WBRP’s Tool Library is hosting a new workshop called, “Build-Your-Own-Planter.” Volunteers will be assisting attendees in building planters, as well as providing materials like lumber, soil and the plants/seeds.
While the registration for this workshop is now full, extras will be available on the day. Limited to one per family. Participants can arrive between 2-5 p.m. to pick up a planter.
Additionally, the Book Bike will be out alongside the workshop from 2 to 5 p.m. as well. They will distribute free books on topics ranging from the environment, gardening and more.
“One of my goals this year was to combine as many programs as possible,” WBRP operations manager and Tool Library Program Director Hannah Russell said. “A lot of our programs in the past have operated independently from one another, however we want to try to create some intersectionality with our programs.”
The various activities are meant to not only benefit West Bloomington, but to also show attendees what they are capable of, Russell said.
“[We’re] just thinking of creative ways to get people to build stuff on their own,” Russell said. “When you build something, you have a sense of pride about that thing and then you also become more independent. You’re like ‘well if I can built that, then I can surely do this project.’”
The WBRP’s overall message is to create connections in the community.
“It’s an inherently good thing to do,” Russell said. “It builds community, it gives people purpose, you are introduced to and interact with people that you may have not interacted with before.”
Bikes will also be for sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and attendees can learn how to fix a flat tire at the Bike Co-Op.
