City of Cambridge Launches Sustainable Cambridge and Celebrates Earth Month

The City of Cambridge has officially launched Sustainable Cambridge, a new initiative that encompasses all of Cambridge’s efforts to address climate change while keeping the community welcoming, neighborly, and beautiful.  

“Sustainable Cambridge is an all-of-government effort to support a climate-ready, welcoming, inclusive, thriving community,” said Julie Wormser, Chief Climate Officer, City of Cambridge. “It involves the City’s work on everything from managing flooding and heat waves to housing, equity, public health, and overall community well-being.”  

With the tag line “All of Us. All In.” Sustainable Cambridge reaffirms a citywide commitment to transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy and maintaining a thriving community in a climate-altered environment. “We are committed to ensuring that everyone -- regardless of race, gender, age, socioeconomic status -- is safe from extreme weather,” added Wormser, “And we want to help lower the bar for other communities to be able to do the same.”

As part of the launch, the City of Cambridge has gathered all its climate and sustainability work into a single public-facing website www.cambridgema.gov/sustainable including:

• How Cambridge will hit our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050;
• How Cambridge is preparing our people and places for extreme weather;
• What residents can do at home, from energy efficiency to keeping bees; 
• What people can do around Cambridge, from finding a park to volunteering;
• How to find help in an emergency; and
• More information on our plans, data, and lots of interactive maps 

Residents can also subscribe and learn more about events, news and other exciting Sustainable Cambridge information.

In support of Sustainable Cambridge and Earth Month, the City of Cambridge will host a series of events and feature a variety of activities throughout the rest of April. Programs led by the Office of Sustainability, Public Library, Department of Public Works, universities and non-profits will highlight nature, music, planting, and biking to celebrate the environment.

Below is an overview of events taking place throughout the rest of April:

Mass Audubon Nature in the City
Saturday, April 12
1-5 p.m.
Magazine Beach Park Nature Center
668 Memorial Drive, Cambridge

You're invited! The Magazine Beach Park Nature Center will reopen its doors to welcome the community for another year of climate action, nature exploration, and discovery. Celebrate at our first Nature in the City festival featuring art, games and activities for all ages, Samosas, partner organizations, and groovy music from multi-ethnic fusion band, Saklamara.

Midday Music & Bike Tune Ups
Wednesday, April 16
11:30 a.m-1:30 p.m.
Kendall/MIT Open Space
292 Main Street, Cambridge

Live Hip-Hop and R&B band curated by The Cambridge Hip-Hop Collective, free bike tune ups, bike safety info, food trucks, and more! Stop by with your bike for a safety check with a bicycle technician from Casa Bikes. Tune ups will take place on a first come, first served basis; no advance registration required. Free & open to all.  Presented in collaboration with MIT Parking and Transportation and MIT Office of Sustainability. 

CPL Nature Club: Cloud & Nature Walk
Wednesday, April 16,
3-4:30 p.m.
Boudreau Library
245 Concord Avenue, Cambridge

Join us as we take a walk to enjoy the natural wonders of spring and learn about clouds. We will get to know some spring birds, look for early flowers and leaf buds, and see how many different types of clouds we can identify! This event is open to all ages. The walk will be on a wheelchair-accessible paved footpath in Danehy Park. Registration for this event is required. Registrations open April 2nd at 3 pm: https://cambridgepl.libcal.com/event/14310898

Earth Day Celebrations: Earth Day is Tuesday April 22, 2025, but we are celebrating early!

Department of Public Works Earth Day Celebration
Saturday, April 19
9 a.m.-1 p.m. (rain date April 20)
Joan Lorentz Park
441 Broadway (outside of the Main Public Library), Cambridge

The City of Cambridge will be distributing finished compost free of charge to Cambridge residents. The finished compost was processed by the City’s contractor, Save That Stuff. Cambridge residents send more than 1,500 tons of yard waste to their processing site in West Bridgewater, MA each year.  To receive finished compost, residents must bring their own bins to the event. Information about recycling and composting will also be available at this event. 

Learn all about trees—getting a free sapling, adopting a street tree, or how to take care of a tree you have. Learn about native gardening, protecting our local rivers, and how to save energy and get off fossil fuels.

Fix It Clinic
Saturday, April 19
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
The Hive, Main Library
449 Broadway, Cambridge

Learn to fix your broken household items, such as electronics, appliances, clothing, and toys etc. at the Fixit Clinic. Volunteer Fixit coaches will review, take apart, and assist in repair attempts. Gain the confidence and knowledge to make repairs and teach others to do the same. This event takes place in The Hive, located on L1 of the Main Library. Open to all ages, registration is required. This event is brought to you by the Cambridge Public Library, The Cambridge Department of Public Works, and Fixit Clinic.

Earth Day Walk at Danehy Park
Saturday, April 19
8-10 a.m.
New Street Parking Lot (166-190 New Street, Cambridge)

Celebrate Earth Day with a morning bird walk at Danehy Park, one of the largest and most popular of Cambridge’s green spaces. Earth Day matters now more than ever. Registration is required.

Get Rid of it Right Webinar
Tuesday, April 22
12-1 p.m.
Zoom

On April 22 at 12pm, join the Department of Public Work’s Recycling Director Mike Orr, where he will share tips for having a green Earth Day. Learn how the City of Cambridge is working to reduce trash with its Zero Waste Master Plan, and how you can make a difference at work and at home. All questions will be answered!

If you can't attend, review a previous recording about how trash, recycling and food waste is managed in Massachusetts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J73s5pJTVNk.

Harvard Earth Day Festival
Tuesday, April 22
12-2 p.m.
Science Center Plaza
One Oxford Street, Cambridge

Join the Harvard Office for Sustainability and Harvard Common Spaces for an Earth Day Festival on Tuesday, April 22 from 12 to 2pm at the Science Center Plaza. Bring everyday items you no longer need and pick up stuff for free. Recycle electronics. Get a bicycle check up. Learn from and connect with Harvard groups tabling at the event.

Create Your Own Terrarium
Tuesday, April 22
5-6:30 p.m.
Main Library
449 Broadway, Cambridge

In honor of Earth Day, spend your afternoon at the Library creating your own terrarium. In partnership with Emerald City Plant Shop, you will have the opportunity to learn more about different kind of plants and plant care. This event will be conducted in the front park area of the Library. In the case of rain, the class will be moved to the community room.

Midday Music & Bike Tune Ups
Wednesday, April 23
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Kendall/MIT Open Space
292 Main Street, Cambridge

Live Hip-Hop and R&B band curated by The Cambridge Hip-Hop Collective, free bike tune ups, bike safety info, food trucks, and more! Stop by with your bike for a safety check with a bicycle technician from Casa Bikes. Tune ups will take place on a first come, first served basis; no advance registration required. Free & open to all.  Presented in collaboration with  MIT Parking and Transportation and the MIT Office of Sustainability. 

Paint and Plant a Flower Pot
Thursday, April 24
12-2 p.m.
Central Square Library
45 Pearl Street, Cambridge

Celebrate Earth Day at the Central Square Branch of the Cambridge Public Library! Come decorate a terracotta pot or recycled planter, then plant a seed in your new pot to take home to watch grow. All seeds and supplies will be provided. Registration encouraged. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Celebrate Earth Day: Pot Painting
Thursday, April 24
12-2 p.m.
45 Pearl Street, Cambridge

Celebrate Earth Day at the Central Square Branch of the Cambridge Public Library! Come decorate a terracotta pot or recycled planter, then plant a seed in your new pot to take home to watch grow. All seeds and supplies will be provided. Registration encouraged. 

Earth Day: Preschool Story Time
Thursday, April 24
3:30-4 p.m.
O'Connell Library
48 Sixth Street, Cambridge

We invite children and their grown-ups to join us for 20-25 minutes of songs, stories, and rhymes about taking care of our planet!

Earth Day Bird Walk at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Friday, April 25
8-10 a.m.
Mount Auburn Cemetery
580 Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge

Join us for a morning bird walk at Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge to celebrate migration, global perspectives, Earth Day and why it matters now more than ever. Spaces limited. Beginners very welcome. We have binoculars to lend. Please register in advance.

Rise Up Boston
Saturday, April 26
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Boston Museum of Science
1 Science Park, Boston

Join us for a lively day full of hands-on activities, enlightening live presentations, climate conversations, and much more! Meet with some of the people who are making a difference addressing climate change at tables throughout the Museum, and talk with Museum educators. This all-day event is all about informing, empowering, and inspiring action. And it’s just the beginning, as we all work together to make a difference!