The second annual "Go Green, Columbia!" event will be held on Friday, April 24. The event combines the previously separate Sahd Metal Recycling Earth Day and Columbia Borough Arbor Day celebrations. April 2026 marks the 21st anniversary of Sahd Metal Recycling's Earth Day celebration along with Columbia Borough's 34th annual Arbor Day observance. The combined event aims to promote sustainability and provide opportunities for community members to connect.

The festivities will begin with the Columbia Borough Police spring cleanup from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Columbia Borough employees and community volunteers will clean the streets, sidewalks, and parks. A large appliance collection will also take place during those hours; tags are for sale at the Columbia Borough office, 308 Locust St. For further information, contact Pam Armold at 717-684-7735 or armoldp@columbiapd.org.

The Columbia Merchants Association will sponsor trolley tours of the town, and participating merchants will offer special deals during the event.

The combined Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration will take place from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St. More than 30 environmentally themed vendors will be present to help educate attendees on sustainability. Kids who complete the Go Green Passport book will receive a free sundae from Coffee and Cream. The first 500 registrants will receive a free dinner from Rocky's BBQ or Dugout Eatz. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/GoGreenColumbia2026.

The Earth Day and Arbor Day celebration will also include the Columbia Shade Tree Commission's 34th annual Arbor Day ceremony at 5:45 p.m. During the ceremony, Mayor Leo Lutz will read the Tree City USA proclamation, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources will present the Tree City USA flag, and Columbia High School senior Ella McCarty will recite the poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer.

Ella is the daughter of Marcy and Ray McCarty. She is the senior class president and a member of National Honor Society. She was a member of the volleyball team since ninth grade and joined the school's first-ever girls' wrestling team in 10th grade. Outside of school, Ella volunteers at CPRS Physical Therapy. She plans to attend Lebanon Valley College to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy.

The Columbia Borough Shade Tree Commission's fundraising auxiliary, the Columbia Tree Society, launched its 2026 membership drive in late January. Since 1992, membership dues and donations have enabled the Shade Tree Commission to purchase and maintain hundreds of street trees throughout the borough, and they have enabled the borough to receive the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA designation for 34 consecutive years. Additionally, the Shade Tree Commission partners with Columbia Borough and local organizations to sponsor and provide training, outreach, and volunteer support.

Sponsors of "Go Green, Columbia!" include Sahd Metal Recycling, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, Columbia Borough, Columbia Borough Police, Columbia Shade Tree Commission, Columbia Park Rangers, Columbia Merchants Association, Susquehanna National Heritage Area, First National Bank, and Harding-Yost Insurance.