When Kayla Varney was a kid, she spent her weekends picking trash up with her grandparents. Last year, her goal was to fill five 13-gallon trash bags. This year, she’s trying to get people involved for Earth Day.

“It feels just as good now as it did when I was a kid,” Varney said.

Varney works part-time as a server at Cushnoc Cantina in downtown Waterville, and said she hates walking past trash in The Concourse behind the restaurant every day. Last summer, she spent her days off picking trash up in the parking area, rewarding herself with a $2 beer at Cushnoc — a perk of the job.

Now, armed with her own trash pickers, she’s inviting the community to join her.

From 9 a.m. to noon, Varney plans to be in The Concourse, wearing green. Cushnoc Cantina will provide some gloves and trash bags, as well as merchandise and free taco coupons. Volunteers are also encouraged to bring their own trash pickers and gloves. Varney said she’ll plan to gather with volunteers at Cushnoc Cantina for some hard-earned food and drinks afterward.

“If somebody just went on every single street and picked up trash once a day, we would have a much cleaner world than we do now,” Varney said. “People go (to The Concourse) and park all the time, but people never really think about how much trash accumulates.”

She wants to change that.

Earth Day celebrates the founding of the modern environmental movement annually on April 22. Whether, like Varney, you spend your time picking up trash, or you’re just coming out of winter hibernation, Earth Day offers a chance to connect with nature and do some good.

In Kennebec County, there are plenty of opportunities. Here are some options.

Waterville-area events

For an educational Earth Day experience, Waterville Creates and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association plan to celebrate organic farming at 6 p.m. at the Paul J Schupf Art Center on Main Street. The event includes hands-on farming activities and demonstrations, including giveaways of seeds and dormant fruit tree cuttings. The event will also feature seed-themed art and games, cheese tastings and knitting-related demonstrations.

If you’re looking for a more sedentary Earth Day option, a series of short films highlighting Maine organic farmers and a panel discussion and Q&A with local farmers will follow the demonstrations and activities, at 7 p.m. at the Maine Film Center.

Literacy Volunteers of Kennebec and Imagination Library of Kennebec County are partnering for a reading activity for children at the Waterville Public Library on Earth Day. The Imagination Library aims to deliver books every month to children ages birth to 5 in Kennebec County, and its Earth Day celebrations include crafts and readings focused on Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” The free event is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the library, 73 Elm St. in Waterville; snacks will be provided.

Meanwhile in Winslow, the public library is set to host a planting party and community clean-up event. The party begins at 4 p.m. at the 136 Halifax St. library, when attendees can assemble seed starter kits, which could include anything from sunflowers to tomatoes, to take home and plant. From 5 to 6 p.m., attendees can get their hands dirty cleaning up Halifax Playground. And by 6 p.m., the group will be relaxing for happy hour at the Two Cent Pub, 82 Clinton Ave.

Augusta-area events

For Earth Day crafts and a chance to clean up a botanical garden’s trails, visit Viles Arboretum in Augusta. The Arboretum is free to all, and will have events for children and adults alike from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Earth Day.

Meanwhile, children in central Maine are expected to receive the free trees they requested through the Neighborhood Forest Annual Free Tree Program, which the Arboretum participated in earlier this year.

Hallowell has two clean-up options for Earth Day, both on Saturday, April 25. Volunteers can be found rain or shine in bright colors doing yard work and trash pickup 9-11 a.m. at Granite City Park at 1 Winthrop St. Gloves and trash bags will be provided for downtown litter patrols. Then, from 2 to 4 p.m. Hallowell Conservation Commission and other sponsors plan to be cleaning up, and maybe painting, the beach parking lot, picnic tables and shelters, recreation fields, bleachers, and nearby trailheads at the Hallowell Recreation Area, or “The RES.”