Here’s Your Earth Month To-Do List

In the Pacific Northwest, a region deeply connected to water, forests, and ecosystems, the climate conversation has never been theoretical. It shows up as shrinking snowpack, severe flooding, and warming streams. If the planet’s future—and that of our own backyard—can feel overwhelming, this year’s Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet,” puts the action back in our hands.

Power is collective, local, and visible in the ways people show up for their neighborhoods, waterways, and wild spaces. From urban trails to backcountry forests and coastal tides, spring offers an invitation to plug in—not just to the region’s natural beauty, but to the movement to protect it. This Earth Day (April 22) and beyond, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

From beach cleanups to trail repairs to habitat rehabilitation, here are some spring stewardship events and ideas to get you outside and connected to the future of the PNW’s ecosystems.

A dirt hiking trail winds through a forest, bordered by a wooden fence and surrounded by tall trees and green foliage.

Pitch in on parks and trails

Our trails and parks need love year-round, but it’s especially important to spruce them up come springtime. Snowmelt, heavy rains, and leftover debris from winter storms leave many trails in need of some attention. There are plenty of statewide and local initiatives organizing park cleanups, habitat rehabilitation, and trail repairs.

If you can’t find anything below that works for your schedule, check out earthday.org for events in your area and kingcounty.gov for Earth Month volunteer opportunities. Washington Trails Association hosts work parties across the state most days of the month, and The Mountaineers also organize stewardship events, including removing fallen trees and improving drainage on trails.

April 12: From 10 a.m. to noon, REI and AllTrails are hosting a Better Trails cleanup at the Cheshiahud Lake Union Loop. Wear running shoes and get ready to plog—jogging while picking up trash. Stick around for post-cleanup snacks and a scavenger hunt at the REI flagship store.

April 18: Join Nisqually Trust for an Earth Day event that involves habitat restoration and scotch broom removal at the Conservation Easement on Nisqually Valley Farm.

April 18, 25: The City of Bellingham has organized several Earth Day activities, including a community work party at Happy Valley Park on April 18 and an Earth Day recycling event on April 25.

April 21: The Pacific Northwest Trail Association is hosting a volunteer trail work opportunity at Blanchard Mountain.

April 22: Earth Corps is a great organization to get involved with if you’re looking to help with local restoration. It’s hosting an Earth Day event at 10 a.m., cleaning up Kubota Garden in Rainier Beach.

April 25: Puget Soundkeeper will have an Earth Day Cleanup at Magnuson Park from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Join the community to clean up the park. Snacks and supplies are provided, and four-legged friends are welcome, too.

April 25: Join the Snoqualmie Tribe from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a day of stewardship at Kimball Creek Slough Nature Study and Conservation Area. Plant, mulch, and pull weeds, among other ways to connect with the land. Snacks and tools are provided.

April 26: The Washington Arboretum is hosting an Earth Day event offering a plant sale, educational activities, and demonstrations. The Arboretum Foundation also has many stewardship opportunities through its volunteer program.

Two people are working in a garden; one is pushing a wheelbarrow while the other is carrying branches in the background.

You don’t have to wait for an event—grab a bag, text a few friends, and host your own cleanup party.

Photo by Fraem Gmbh / Unsplash

Join Mountains to Sound Greenway for habitat restoration and trail work parties throughout April, including Earth Day-specific events. On April 25, help restore the habitat around Lake Sammamish or join a work party along Teanaway Trail.

Support Seattle’s urban farms and food forests. Beacon Food Forest hosts work parties on the third Saturday of each month. Seattle Tilth Alliance also offers volunteering opportunities, and a range of gardening classes.

Help out along the coast

April 25: Our forests and parks aren’t the only places in need of care in spring. Water is an inseparable part of Washington and Seattle as well. CoastSavers organizes community beach cleanups a few times a year, including Earth Day. This year, join them on the Pacific Coast and Strait of Juan de Fuca.

April 18, 22, 25: You can also help our waters at Sound Salmon Solutions’ events. Salmon have been central to Salish communities for thousands of years but have declined sharply, with some watersheds losing up to 90% of their typical runs. Sound Salmon Solutions supports recovery through education, restoration, and stewardship. Join in during three events around Earth Day, including Earth Day Habitat Restoration near Carnation on April 18, a salmon release in Mukilteo on April 22, and a salmon release at Swamp Creek on April 25.

Get outside

Stewardship often stems from a reverence for nature. One of the best things we can do is simply get outside and (responsibly) spend time in Washington’s incredible abundance. Take a walk in your local park and take note of what flowers and plants are blossoming. Head to that trail you’ve long been curious about and take your time, looking up, down, and all around you to observe the small details. Watch the sun ripple across the water on a lake or explore the life inside tidepools on the coast. Take some photos of something that piques your curiosity and learn more about it when you get home.

Getting outside is even easier on April 22, when the Discover Pass is free and entrance to state parks is waived.

Rocky shoreline covered in seaweed and barnacles with calm blue water, a forested headland, and distant mountains under a clear sky—a serene Earth Month scene to add to your nature-inspired to-do list.

Salt Creek Recreation Area, Camp Hayden Road, Port Angeles.

Photo by Sara Kozak / Unsplash

Stay involved

Many organizations host events and work parties, but you don’t need to wait for one to get involved. Create your own work party with friends, family, or coworkers. Bring gloves and a trash bag to collect litter on your next hike, park visit, or beach day. Small actions add up.

Stewardship shouldn’t start and end on Earth Day. There are plenty of ways to stay involved year-round. For example, Mount Baker’s mountain steward program offers volunteer opportunities May through October.

However you choose to mark Earth Month, spend some time outside. Pay attention to where you are, and leave it a little better than you found it.