Apr 17 Wednesday
Temperate grasslands and prairies in the Midwest are among the most endangered ecosystems on the planet. The White River Group of the Sierra Club is hosting Brian Edmond, a member and volunteer with the Missouri Prairie Foundation, to talk about these lands and the plants and animals that live there.
This program will be held Wednesday, April 17 from 6:30 to 8 pm in the Community Room of the Schweitzer-Brentwood Branch Library. The program is free and open to the public.
The Missouri Prairie Foundation protects over 3,700 acres in Missouri.
Apr 18 Thursday
Adults are invited to attend Scam Awareness for Older Adults at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 18, at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library, 2214 Brentwood Blvd.
Basic personal information is at risk of being stolen every day, and the technology and tactics scammers use continue to change. Springfield Better Business Bureau Regional Director Pamela Hernandez will share tips to help you identify and avoid scams that target older adults.
For more information on this free program call 417-883-1974.
Celebrate Earth Day all week with the Springfield Conservation Nature Center. Volunteer naturalists will present their passion for gardening with native plants, offer recommendations, and give tips to encourage pollinators.
Adults are invited to attend Travelogue at 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, at the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library, 2214 Brentwood Blvd.
Sit back, relax and explore the history and architecture of Spain. David Gray will share his travels through western Spain, including the ancient city of Cadiz, Roman amphitheaters of Merida, the cultural sites of Salamanca, the ancient art of sword making in Toledo, and the cities of Malaga, Ronda, Avila and Madrid.
Adults are invited to attend “Up South in the Ozarks” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, in the Library Center auditorium, 4653 S. Campbell Ave.
From southern gospel singing schools and ballad collectors to migratory cotton pickers and backroad country storekeepers, Dr. Brooks Blevins, Noel Boyd Professor of Ozarks Studies at Missouri State University and author of “Up South in the Ozarks: Dispatches from the Margins,” will combine humor, history and storytelling to explore mostly unseen lives from the Ozarks past and present. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
For more information on this free program call 417-882-0714.
Apr 19 Friday
Unity of Springfield will present the 7th Annual Planet Unity Celebration April 19 and 20.
The event kicks off Friday, April 19 at 6 pm with food, drink to include beer and wine, and live music featuring George Hunt and the Blues Society of the Ozarks.
The main event begins Saturday, April 20 at 10 am and will feature live music to include headliner Sade Shine, expert speakers to include the Dickerson Park Zoo’s presentation “Many Animals, One World”, food and drink, a huge indoor yard sale, local artisan vendors, kids activities, crafts, bounce house and so much more.
Unity of Springfield is proud to bring the Planet Unity Earth Day Celebration to Springfield for the 7th year in a row. The event's goal is for this event to raise awareness on the importance of taking care of our planet and to create community connection through music, education, food and fun.
This event is free and open to the public. There will be food and drink available to purchase as well as local vendors, a yard sale and a silent auction. There will be door prizes given out every half hour.
Springfield Community Gardens will be onsite all day Saturday providing activities for all ages.
THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.
Paws to the Polls will host "The Power of the Vote" Trivia Night April 19 at Q Enoteca. The evening will include a full pasta dinner, dessert and trivia.
Space is limited and RSVPs are required. Email pawstothepolls@missouristate.edu to reserve your spot.
Paws to the Polls is a Missouri State University nonpartisan voter education initiative.
Apr 20 Saturday
Difficult to dispose of items like household bulky items, tires and mattresses create a burden for Springfield residents and often end up dumped along roads, alleyways and streams. To help combat this issue, the Clean Green Springfield city-wide cleanup initiative will host two “Drop-off Depot” disposal events 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Saturdays, April 20 and May 4 at 404 N. Jefferson Avenue in downtown Springfield.
The following items will be accepted at no cost to residents:
General Trash and Bulky Items:The City will accept general household trash from garage and shed cleanups, furniture and other bulky items for disposal.
NOT Accepted: Yardwaste or limbs, hazardous waste (fluorescent bulbs, paint, oil, varnish, etc.), TVs or computers, appliances with refrigerants.
Mattresses:Bulky mattresses are problematic for the Springfield Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill as they take up a lot of space and do not compact well. Help keep these out of the landfill and recycle them.***Mattresses and box springs accepted. Limit 4 pieces per residential household. Items must be clean, dry and free of infestation.
Tires:Recycling tires can help harmful chemicals stay out of the earth, water, and air. It can prevent tires from becoming disease-carrying, pest breeding grounds and can keep them from starting fires.***Limit 8 tires per residential household. Tires must be detached from metal and rims.
Dropoff is free for Springfield residents. All items must be transported to the event with no home pickup option available. No commercial waste accepted. No construction and demolition waste. No trailers will be allowed.
The Parkinson's Group of the Ozarks will host the 2nd annual Parkinson's Resource Fair April 20 at the EMPOWER Abilities' Community Room. Local businesses and organizations will share programs and services centered around Parkinson's disease.