Free Tri-Cities Earth Day celebration. How kids and adults can help local environment

A free celebration of Earth Day in the Tri-Cities with discussions, a treasure hunt, music and other activities for kids and adults has been organized for noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Reach Museum in Richland.

Also that day, the Benton County Mosquito Control District will be accepting unwanted tires for free in West Richland. And Ben Franklin Transit will offer free fares on Monday, April 22, which is the official Earth Day.

The event at the Reach will highlight ways of living that are healthy for people, the Eastern Washington environment and the global climate.

Speakers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Kids for Urban Trees and Tri-Cities area environmental and conservation groups will lead discussions, and the Benton-Franklin Climate Action Team will roll out an action plan for the greater Tri-Cities area.

Activities include an electric vehicle car show, poetry from Adventures Underground, interactive art, a treasure hunt around the museum, games, surveys, service projects and a climate simulator. The Tri-Cities Cargo Club will show off its cargo bikes.

Fast and Curious and Lucky Bao food trucks will be there. Musical performances are scheduled by JAK, Washington Old Time Fiddlers, and Chainsaw and the Fine Particulates.

Walking, biking and car sharing to the Reach are encouraged. To supplement limited vehicle parking, a shuttle train will transport visitors from the parking lot at 2610 North Columbia Center Blvd., Richland. The Reach museum is at 1943 Columbia Park Trail.

The event is free thanks to the sponsorship of Battelle.

Tire collection

The Benton County Mosquito Control District and the Washington state Department of Ecology will be accepting tires from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 20 at 4951 West Van Giesen St., West Richland, next to the post office.

Wait lines are usually shorter after 8:30 a.m., and no one will be turned away for lack of capacity for tires dropped off.

Up to 10 tires per car may be dropped off. They must be off the rims and not cut up. No tractor or other oversized tires will be accepted.

Participants will be asked to show proof of residency in the district, such as with a driver’s license or utility bill.

In Benton County the district includes Kennewick, Finley, Richland, West Richland, Benton City and Prosser. It also extends into Yakima County, serving most of Grandview and Mabton.

The collection event is intended to help control mosquitoes. One female mosquito can produce a thousand eggs in one tire over the course of a season, the district says.

At last year’s annual event, 5,362 tires were collected.

Free bus rides

Ben Franklin Transit will offer free rides on its fixed-route bus service on Monday April 22.

Public transit reduces air pollution and reduces road congestion, it says.

“We hope to encourage people who haven’t used BFT services to ride with us by offering free fares,” said BFT Interim General Manager Sarah Funk.

To plan your trip, download the Transit app or the MyRide app and enter your destination.

This story was originally published March 25, 2024 at 9:55 AM.