The countdown is on for Wiscasset’s first Earth Day Celebration and organizers are thrilled to unveil the lineup of vendors and speakers set to inspire and educate attendees. Scheduled for April 27  from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wiscasset Community Center, the day will be filled with money- and energy-saving tips, community bonding and environmental awareness.

The Celebration will feature vendor tables, talks and workshops, and fun activities like sea level rise bingo and a wildlife ambassador visit with Chewonki Foundation. The Wiscasset Climate Action Team (WCAT) organized this event in part to help raise awareness about money- and energy-saving resources available to the community. “For example, Efficiency Maine is an independent state agency that many people haven’t heard about in our community, but they can provide a free, efficient heat pump water heater or will cover up to 80% of the costs of installing insulation or a heat/cold pump for anyone who’s income-eligible,” said Cassaundra Rose, WCAT chair. “WCAT hopes that this Earth Day Celebration makes it a little easier for our community to learn how to save money and energy, a win-win for your pocketbook and benefiting the environment and our climate.”

The Celebration will also give visitors a chance to try out battery-powered electric landscaping tools, see how Window Dressers window inserts work and can save money, learn how to recycle in Lincoln County, and talk with local environmental, arts and educational organizations. “There is something for everyone at the Earth Day Celebration; we’re lucky to have so many local organizations who can help, whether people would like to learn more about what’s going on in our community, learn who can help them with that project they’ve been meaning to start, or would like to take the next step to volunteer or join a local club,” said Rose. “We especially hope that kids will come and learn more about recycling, play sea level rise bingo, learn how they can take action on climate change, or just to see the local wildlife with Chewonki!” 

An exciting lineup of speakers in the morning will cover topics including how to do an energy audit and air sealing on your home, how solar and heat pump technologies work, and Efficiency Maine resources to get it all done: 9:30a.m. Home energy audits and air sealing with All-Around Home Performance; 10 a.m. Solar and heat pumps, how do they work? with Revision Energy; 10:30 a.m. Efficiency Maine resources for homeowners and renters – efficiency projects, electric vehicles, and more.

In the late morning, speakers will switch gears and cover how climate change and sea level rise impact our area and how everyone can take action: 11:30 a.m. Climate change in Wiscasset – what to expect and how our town is taking action, WCAT; 12 p.m. Hands-on workshop for kids and adults – Taking action on climate change, with Maine Climate Council’s Youth Climate Engagement Coordinator Abigail Hayne; 12:30 p.m. Sea level rise and waterfront community resilience, Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

The Wiscasset Earth Day Celebration is free and open to the public. We hope you’ll join us and we look forward to celebrating our community and environment with you! Stay up to date with the latest information and vendor list by checking out our Facebook event page at https://bit.ly/WiscassetEarthDay2024

For more information, please contact the Wiscasset Climate Action Team at WiscassetClimate@gmail.com