FARMINGTON — Earth Day in Farmington was a community effort as volunteers from business, the University of Maine at Farmington and the town stepped forward to spruce up the downtown area.

“We live and work in this community and it is our responsibility to help keep it clean,” Cortany Tinker said as she and co-worker Haily Turner from Franklin Savings Bank collected trash on banking on Front Street.

The second annual cleanup had nearly 20 people sign up before the 1 p.m. start, organizer Annie Bean Palmer said.

Palmer and her husband, Chris, started the cleanup last year. They were joined this year by students in the University of Maine at Farmington Sustainable Campus Coalition.

They were helping sign up volunteers, pass out bags and gloves and later planned to pick up trash around Prescott Field, member Jackie Rose said.

The event was centered around Front Street and Main Street from McDonald’s to Meetinghouse Park, Bean Palmer said.

Volunteers were welcome to scour their favorite spots.

Sponsored by the Farmington Downtown Association and the UMF Sustainable Coalition, volunteers were asked not only to pick up trash but to keep recyclables such as bottles, cans and No. 2 plastic separate.

The Pierce House offered a gathering spot on its front lawn.

With donations from Tranten’s Market and Reny’s, two bags and gloves were given to each participant. One bag was for trash and the other for recyclables.

A Farmington Public Works truck was expected to arrive at 3 p.m. to pick up trash bags, Chris Palmer said. Volunteers were welcome to leave heavy bags next to the road for pickup, he said.

“Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970,” according to the Earth Day Network website. The network coordinates Earth Day activities around the world.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net