The coming of spring brings showers and flowers and sunshine and warmth.

And now that the weather is better and the snow is melting, it’s time to get out and active with the annual Woolwich Healthy Communities Month, which stretches through April and into May with a variety of events for the whole family.

“It’s going to be another great year,” Woolwich Healthy Communities member Inga Rinne said. “There are a number of ways for people to get involved and it really is a perfect time of year to get out and about and have some fun while doing something good for our wonderful community.”

The busy schedule kicks off with the ninth annual A Taste of Woolwich event on April 13 at St. Teresa of Avila Church in Elmira.

This year’s iteration will continue to build on its mandate of connecting the community with local farmers and the foods they produce.

“There will a large number of local vendors with foods for display, sale and tastings,” WHC member Barb Taylor said. “You’ll be able to meet farmers and find out more about where food comes from. And the quality of the artisanal foods on offer is really quite amazing.”

The event will run from 5-8 p.m. and includes a number of workshops by local chefs, farmers and gardeners.

A Taste of Woolwich will also present the debut of the Woolwich Choral Society.

Next up it’s the community cleanup day on April 18.

“I believe this is our tenth year, and Tim Hortons will be providing us with gloves and bags and refreshments,” said  Ann Roberts, the trails coordinator at the Township of Woolwich. “It will be taking place all across the township with a number of different groups including the Boy Scouts.”

The following Saturday the cleanup continues with the Church Challenge, which sees church groups do their part to help keep the township litter-free.

“What we have found is that garbage begets garbage,” Rinne explained. “If there is already a lot of garbage around, people tend to continue littering. But when things are clean and tidy, people are more apt to do the right thing. And so this time of year, with all of the snow melting, it’s important to get out there and make sure we are on top of things.”

That same morning the Girl Guides and Beavers will be painting yellow fish on storm drains to remind people of the ecological impact of litter and pollution.

On April 25-26 and May 2, Trees for Woolwich will launch its 2015 campaign. This year, they will plant hundreds of trees along the Kissing Bridge Trail near West Montrose.

There are also a number of ways to get out and enjoy the township’s natural landscape. On April 28 Coun. Mark Bauman will host a bird watching hike on the Health Valley Trail in St. Jacobs. Then, on May 9, its time for both Spring on the Trail and the Healthy Hikes kickoff. Avid hikers are encouraged to come out to learn about the new Woolwich Healthy Hikes badges, which will signify the completion of 100 km and 200 km hiked for the coming year.

Last but not least, be sure to check out the brand new Trees for Woolwich quilt that’s up for silent auction all month long. Quilted by numerous community members – including many Old Order Mennonite women who have had Trees for Woolwich planting on their farms in the past – the queen-size piece will be auctioned off to raise money for Woolwich Healthy Communities.

For more information, visit their website at www.healthywoolwich.org.