The celebration of Earth Day in Violet Township was widespread and successful.
May 5, 2024
By Heath Scofield
In Pickerington, the celebration of Earth Day started the morning of April 19 in Sycamore Creek Park.
City staff and administrators worked alongside Pickerington North Environmental Students and community volunteers to clear invasive plants along the bike paths.
Under the direction of the administrators of Coyote Run Nature Preserve, large quantities of Honeysuckle and Callery Pear were removed among others.
The City of Pickerington Service Department used a woodchipper for the destruction of the plants, with the City Manager Greg Butcher manning a chainsaw, City Councilmember Brian Wisniewski and City Planning Director Clement Chukwu among the volunteers hauling the downed brush.
Also on Friday, City Officials, employees, and community volunteers collected litter from properties along Hill Road from State Route 204 all the way to Pickerington High School Central.
On Saturday, Combustion Brewery and Taproom (80 W Church Street) served as headquarters for the community Earth Day Celebration.
From 9 AM to 3 PM, more than 130 volunteers worked in shifts to continue the litter cleanup around Violet Township, including parks, schools, and athletic fields.
The effort, organized by Pickerington Online, was facilitated by Keep Columbus Beautiful and Green Columbus, who also provided trees to plant in Sycamore Creek Park, the Hague Nature Preserve, and Coyote Run Nature Preserve.
The Pickerington Lions Club, Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce, the Bill & Joyce Hague Foundation, and Anna Gasser’s Eagle Scout Project also donated trees, for a total 1,250 trees planted in areas where invasive plants had been previously removed from.
Other donations were made for the volunteers, including wildflower seeds and snacks from Green Columbus, free drinks from Combustion, and free pizza from Flyers Pizza.
Also in the spirit of Earth Day, Strader’s Garden Center had a pop-up plant sale including flowers and herbs inside Combustion, and the Ohio State University Fairfield County Extension Office provided information on Victory Gardens.
The Greener Violet Environmental Collective gave away 300 native shrubs at Sorso Coffee (7849 Refugee Rd) and wildflower seeds at Combustion.
