Explore the latest in recycling, composting, solar power, electric vehicles, native planting, wildlife habitat, conservation practices, and more! This free, open house event is for all ages. Have fun with hands-on activities, interactive displays, and educational exhibits provided by local conservation and sustainability organizations.

Special events at the 2024 Earth Day Festival include…

• Free snacks from the Oneota Community Food Co-op
• Free coffee from Impact Coffee and Winneshiek Energy District
• Educational presentations:
  • 9:30 AM: “Bringing Birds & Pollinators to Your Backyard” with Winneshiek County Conservation Naturalist Larry Reis
  • 10:00 AM: “Meet Astrid, a Live Gyrfalcon” with Raptor Resource Project’s David Kester
  • 10:30 AM: “Solar 101” with Winneshiek Energy District’s Paul Cutting
  • 11:00 AM: “Meet Astrid, a Live Gyrfalcon” with Raptor Resource Project’s David Kester
  • 11:30 AM: “Understanding the Decorah Impact Crater” with Luther College professor Birgitta Meade
• Explore the live insects brought by the Iowa State University Insect Zoo
• View the stars in the Keystone Area Education Agency planetarium
• Native tree seedlings & other giveaways
• Electric vehicle showings
• Solar & HVAC contractors
• First access to register for the 2024 Driftless Safari and receive a free guidebook
• And much more!

Celebrate Earth Day all week long with these community events:

• Order a home composter and attend a Compost Training with Winneshiek County Conservation Waste Reduction & Recycling Educator, Evan Neubauer. Learn more about the compost program at: https://www.winneshiekwaste.com/compost
• Go Wild Foraging at Lake Meyer Park on Thursday, April 25th at 5:30 pm. Visit the event page for details: https://www.winneshiekwild.com/events/wild-foraging-lake-meyer-2024
• Big Blue Sky Returns to Convergence CiderWorks on Saturday, April 2oth at 3:00 pm. Enjoy “eco-folk-n-rock” live music while supporting our local birds at this fundraiser for the Upper Iowa Audubon Society.
• Hike to view the skunk cabbage at ReRooted Connections on Sunday, April 21st at 1:00 pm. More information to come at: https://www.rerootedconnections.org/
• Help plant 25 trees on Saturday, April 27th at 8:00 am around the City of Decorah. Meet at the Street Department, 108 Railroad Avenue. Before planting, the City Forester and Decorah Tree Board will give a planting demonstration and tree care tips. This project is made possible through a grant received from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program and the Arbor Day Foundation. For more information contact Sam Hogenson, City Forester, at (563) 277-5153 or by email at cityforester@decorah.iowa.gov. Find more Arbor Day events at https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/all-events.cfm
  
• Celebrate and support local fly fishing with the Trout Unlimited Driftless Chapter at their annual fundraiser and banquet on Saturday, April 27th at 5:00 pm at the Hotel Winneshiek. They will host the 2024 Fly Fishing Film Tour, with auctions and raffles, food from U2 BBQ, and more! More information available at https://flyfilmtour.myeventscenter.com/event/2024f3tdecorah-72919?redir=1

A special thanks to these community organizations for devoting time on the planning committee to make the Earth Day Festival possible:

• Luther College Center for Sustainable Communities
• Luther College Environmental Education Program
• Oneota Community Food Co-op
• Winneshiek County ISU Extension & Outreach
• Winneshiek County Conservation
• Winneshiek County Waste Reduction
• Winneshiek Energy District

In addition, thank you to these groups who will be hosting a table, exhibit, or activity at the 2024 Earth Day Festival:

• ArtHaus
• City of Decorah
• Decorah Community Food Pantry
• Decorah Farmers Market
• Decorah High School Envirothon
• Decorah Parks and Recreation
• Decorah Public Library
• Depot Outlet
• Euphoria Coffee Roasters
• Farmers Land Investment Cooperative
• HAWC Parterships for Children
• Helping Services’ Parent Education & Support
• Impact Coffee
• Keystone Area Education Agency
  
• Luther College Environmental Education Students
• Luther College Geology
• NICC & Green Iowa AmeriCorps
• NE Iowa Peace and Justice Center
• Northeast Iowa Citizens’ Climate Lobby
• Northeastern Iowa Synod Care for Creation Network
• Raptor Resource Project
• Red Oak Outdoor School
• ReRooted Connections
• Seed Savers Exchange
• Sweet Season Farm & Humble Hands Harvest collaborative CSA
• The Getup
• Trout Unlimited Driftless Chapter 717
• Upper Iowa Audubon
• Winneshiek County Farm Bureau
• Winneshiek County ISU Extension & Outreach
• Winneshiek County Master Gardeners
• Winneshiek County 4-H Clubs

The goal of the Earth Day Festival is to bring together our community to find sustainable ways to care for our natural resources and reduce pressure on our landfill. Visit www.winneshiekwaste.com or email wildrecycling@winneshiekwild.com to learn more about waste reduction in Winneshiek County.