Alabamians celebrate Earth Day at cleanups, trail rides and electric vehicle happenings
Earth Day activities abounded in Alabama. (Alabama News Center, Drive Electric Alabama)
Alabamians made the most of Earth Day falling on a weekend this year, attending events April 22 that included volunteer cleanups in urban neighborhoods and state parks, walks and bicycle rides on Alabama trails, and gatherings of electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts, among other activities.
In Birmingham, volunteers converged in the historic Bush Hills community to pick up trash and get the community garden at Wilson Elementary School in good shape for spring planting. Alabama Power was among supporters of the event.
In northeast Alabama, bicycling enthusiasts hit the Chief Ladiga Trail for a family-friendly ride through several communities.
In three cities, Drive Electric Alabama, the statewide organization expanding awareness about the benefits of EVs, held events that brought together local EV drivers with people who wanted to learn more about electric transportation.
And all across the state, Alabama State Parks invited nature lovers to come out for guided hikes, cleanups, recycling events, and arts and cultural celebrations.
Volunteers get ready to clean up the Bush Hills neighborhood in Birmingham on Earth Day 2023. (Michael Sznajderman / Alabama News Center)
Local chapters of Drive Electric Alabama showcased EVs in Birmingham, Mobile and Fort Payne on Saturday. At all three events, EV owners talked one-on-one with visitors and shared their experiences.
“Electric vehicles are still new to so many people, and it’s always rewarding to help people separate fact from fiction,” said Dale Holden, a leader of the Bay Area Drive Electric Alabama chapter for EV owners and enthusiasts.
The “EVents” in Alabama were part of the national Drive Electric Earth Day initiative, which shared information about related topics. Local chapters of Drive Electric Alabama sponsored inaugural Drive Electric Earth Day showcases in Prattville and Enterprise earlier this month.
Alabama Power offers a discounted rate for EV drivers to charge their vehicles at home during overnight, off-peak hours. The discount applies to an entire household’s electric use from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. A new incentive provides EV drivers with a one-time rebate to help cover the cost of installing a faster, Level 2 charger at home. Incentives and guidance about electric transportation are available for Alabama Power business customers who are considering adding EVs to their commercial fleets.
Birmingham’s Pepper Place market marked Earth Day in multiple ways. In addition to hosting one of the EV events, there was live music, displays from environment-focused nonprofits and a “rails-to-trails” parade along the nearby Jones Valley Trail, in honor of the upcoming national Celebrate Trails Day.
Representatives from the Renew Our Rivers (ROR) campaign were on hand to provide information about cleanups taking place throughout the year. Meanwhile, ROR volunteers were out on Lay Lake on Earth Day week, picking up trash. Renew Our Rivers, which was created by volunteers at Alabama Power, is now in its 24th year of partnering with multiple organizations to remove trash and debris from the state’s creeks, rivers and lakes. Learn more about Renew Our Rivers and view the upcoming schedule of volunteer cleanups here.
