April 20th, 2026 -"At the Heart of tHe LAnd: Celebrating Earth Day "

BRIDGE Hosts Earth Day 2026 & Launches Next Phase of Solidarity Farm at April Hill

​Advancing a Community-Based Environmental Justice Model for Food Sovereignty, Climate Resilience, and Public Health

Great Barrington , MA — Multicultural BRIDGE will host its Earth Day 2026 Celebration on April 22 at Solidarity House, marking both the opening of the growing season and the next phase of its Solidarity Farm & Garden at April Hill.
This year’s gathering brings together state leaders, regional partners, and community members to advance a shared vision for environmental justice, food sovereignty, and climate resilience in the Berkshires.

A New Phase at April HillAfter five years of growing at the Great Barrington Fairgrounds, BRIDGE’s Solidarity Farm has supported the development of a strong cohort of community growers. As part of this next phase, several Solidarity growers are now ready to expand beyond community plots into more independent, production-oriented farming.
The April Hill site represents the next evolution of this work, building on the World Farmers Flats Mentor Farm model and adapting it for the Berkshire context of BIPOC emerging farmers. Partnering with Greenagers in a values-aligned effort across constituencies, trainings and agricultural resources.
This expansion includes:

• New grower plots supporting transition to independent farming
• Expanded mutual aid and community distribution capacity
• Culturally specific crop cultivation
• Integration of climate-resilient agricultural practices
• Youth engagement 

April Hill serves as a partner hub in our first year with expanded plots to meet urgent food security needs, supporting growers as they evolve our community-based growing model toward long-term land access, increased food sovereignty and economic sustainability.

Earth Day 2026: Community Health, Climate Resilience & Collective ActionEarth Day at BRIDGE is a family-friendly, community-centered event that connects land, learning, and action.
Season Opening Activities

• Willow & elderberry planting (flood mitigation & ecological restoration) with Salix Flora
• Farm & garden clean-up
• Guided farm tours
• Seed sharing — plant on-site and take seeds home

As part of this work, BRIDGE is braiding together youth-led climate initiatives across sites, including:

• The continued development of a youth-led willow garden at the Great Barrington Fairgrounds
• The planting of a new willow garden at Solidarity Commons (BRIDGE Meeting House at 965 Main Street) & expanding elderberry garden 

These efforts have been supported in partnership with the Berkshire Conservation District, Wards and the Town of Great Barrington Agricultural Commission, strengthening local climate mitigation and youth engagement.

Environmental Justice Panel
As a member of Environmental Justice Fund Steering Committee of the Attorney General Office, BRIDGE will feature a public panel on Environmental Justice & Community-Based Climate Solutions, connecting state leadership with local practice.

Moderator: Gwendolyn VanSant, BRIDGE, with Dr. Lina Maria Polo Caijao

• Liz Hartsgrove, Town Manager, Town of Great Barrington (Welcoming Remarks)
• Betsy Harper, Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office – Chief of Environmental Protection Division
• Turner Smith, Deputy Chief of the Environmental and Energy Bureau
• Elizabeth Cardona, Community Engagement Manager, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
• Charles Redd, DEI Officer, Berkshire Health Systems

Panel focus areas include:

• Climate mitigation and flood resilience
• Food systems as public health infrastructure
• Community-led environmental justice solutions
• Youth leadership and workforce development
• Institutional Partnerships

Community Participation
BRIDGE invites families, youth, educators, farmers, land stewards, and regional partners to participate in a day of hands-on learning, engagement, and collective action. The State is coming to be with the community and hear our challenges and solutions.

Rooted in Community & Climate Justice
BRIDGE’s work is grounded in a long arc of community-led environmental justice and public health work, beginning prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and shaped through collaboration with the BRIDGE community and the Town of Great Barrington Sustainability Committee as part of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) climate resilience planning process.
This work led to the development of our shared C.A.R.E. framework, which remains a guiding model for BRIDGE work as it was rooted in our community voices, wisdom, experience and municipal partnership.
The framework centers:

• Underrepresented voices in decision-making
• Lived experience as expertise
• Food justice as social justice
• Repairing relationships between people and the land

A Regional Environmental Justice Model
Today, Solidarity Farm & Garden operates as a community-based environmental justice and public health initiative, serving over 200 families and supporting BIPOC growers across multiple sites.
Through alignment with values-aligned partners & organizations including:

• World Farmers
• Salix Flora Farm
• Berkshire Natural Resources Council
• Town of Great Barrington Agricultural Commission
• Great Barrington Fairgrounds 
• April Hill / Greenagers 
• Sheffield Land Trust
• Berkshire Conservation District
• SHAWE Advisory- Solidarity Health and Wellness Ecosystem Initiative- the SHAWE (BRIDGE- led CHIP)

BRIDGE is advancing its replicable ecosystem — a model for rural community health, environmental justice, climate resilience, and food system inclusion & transformation.

A Model in Motion
“This work reflects a long-term commitment to building systems that connect land, health, and community,” said Gwendolyn VanSant, CEO & Founding Director of BRIDGE. “We are proud to support growers as they expand, and to continue developing solutions that are rooted in both culturally relevant community knowledge and regional partnership. We look forward to sharing our SHAWE initiative that works across agriculture, the arts, health and justice in our BIPOC and vulnerable communities fortifying health, self-determination, belonging and joy.”

Event Details
Earth Day Celebration – Solidarity Farm & Garden
April 22, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Solidarity House 965 Main St, Great Barrington, MA

Abbreviated Agenda

• 10:00 AM – Welcome & Earth Appreciation Reading
• 10:15–11:00 AM – Guided Farm & Garden Tour (Meeting House & River Walk)
• 11:00 AM–12:00 PM – Willow & Tree Planting (Youth-Led; Flood Mitigation)
• 12:30–2:00 PM – Environmental Justice Panel & Community Focus Group (over lunch)
• ​2:00–5:00 PM Earth Day Family Activities
  
  2:15–3:00 PM – African Dancing with Uprising Dance Theatre (Nkoula Badila, Angel Lau, Brandon Guillermo and Noel Staples-Freeman) to Honor Mother Earth and Cupcakes with Lourdes
  
  3:00–5:00 PM – Community Activities: Farm Clean-Up, Garden Planting & Prep, Recycled Mini-Gardens Workshop, Seed Sharing 
• 6:00–7:30 PM – Community Dinner & Conversation: “Cooking with Women to Women & BRIDGE Staff

Get Involved
​Community members, partners, and supporters are encouraged to attend and engage. 
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 413-274-8142
Media contact: Gwendolyn VanSant Phone: 318-528-1011
“Our Earth Day celebration in the Berkshires is a hub for environmental justice—connecting climate resilience, food systems, and public health through inter generational cross-cultural  community-led models.” - Gwendolyn