WSU Lewis County Master Recycler Composter volunteers to hold Earth Month events

The WSU Lewis County Master Recycler Composter (MRC) Volunteers have organized "Connecting Neighbors," a series of workshops, events and open houses in honor of Earth Month in conjunction with the MRC Tool Bucket Library (TBL) and local partners, a news release from the MRC volunteers stated.

The workshops take place every Friday starting on April 3 and running through May 1 with a special event on Saturday, May 2, to round out the Earth Month celebration.

Some workshop locations will be held at the neighboring Centralia Christian School to keep volunteers and students out of the weather, while later ones will be at Floral Park, 104 E. Floral St., Centralia.

Following each workshop, the community is invited to the Floral Park Sustainability Project from 1 to 3 p.m. to learn more about the park and the MRC Tool Bucket Library. Anyone age 18 and older who attends an open house is eligible to sign up for a three-month trial membership to the tool library, the release stated.

A special wood debris chipping day will take place at Floral Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 2.

The schedule of workshops and events includes:

-April 3: Food Preservation and Safety, to be held 12:30 p.m. at the Centralia Christian School Library. Lewis County Master Food Preservers will dispel canning myths and review food safety measures. Pressure canning lids can be brought and checked. Limited to 25 participants. Call 360-740-1216 to register. Afterward, visit the TBL to learn about kitchen/cooking equipment available for loan.

-April 10: Sewing Machine Maintenance, to be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Centralia Christian School Library. Lewis County Clothing and Textile Advisors will show residents how to do annual maintenance on their sewing machines. Limited to 25 participants. Call 360-740-1216 to register. Afterward, visit the TBL to learn about sewing machines and accessories available for loan.

-April 17: Older Vehicle Maintenance, to be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Floral Park Sustainability Project. WSU Lewis County Master Recycler Composter (MRC) Volunteers teach how to maintain resident's older vehicles to prevent costly repairs down the road in this hands-on class. Afterward, stick around the TBL to learn about automotive tools available for loan.

-April 24: Bike Maintenance, to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Floral Park Sustainability Project. Hub City Bike Shop volunteers will be on site to show how to maintain bikes during this drop-in period. Residents can bring their own bikes to learn how to maintain them. TBL features bike repair equipment for loan. The Hub City Bike Shop, 539 N. Pearl St., Centralia, is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for residents unable to make it that Friday.

-May 1: Sustainability and Composting Sustainability Round-Up, to be held from noon to 3 p.m. at the Floral Park Sustainability Project. Residents can stop by before or after the Composting Basics Class. Environmentally-focused community partners will share their tools, services and programs available to residents. Information booths will include Lewis County Noxious Weed, Lewis County Conservation District, Chehalis Timberland Library Gadget Library, and more.

The Composting Basics will be held at 12:30 p.m. at the Floral Park Sustainability Project.

WSU Lewis County MRC Volunteers teach a class on backyard home composting. The class will showcase home-made and store-bought compost bins. TBL features yard and garden tools available for loan, the release stated.

-May 2: A chipping event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Floral Park Sustainability Project.

WSU Lewis County MRC Volunteers will host a chipping event. Residents are invited to bring branches smaller than 8 inches in diameter for chipping. A contractor will chip the branches and volunteers will spread chips on Floral Park trails.

The monthlong campaign is partially funded by a Project Connect Grant from the Community Foundation of Puget Sound, a Local Solid Waste and Financial Assistance Grant from the Washington state Department of Ecology, Windermere Real Estate in Centralia, and the Lewis County Solid Waste Utility.

For more information on these events, the MRC Volunteer Program, the MRC Tool Bucket Library and other upcoming events, call 360-740-1216 or email questions to jason.adams@lewiscountywa.gov.

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This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 11:30 AM.