Earth Day 2025, which falls on April 22, seems more urgent than ever. During the first three months of this year, United States withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time, and severe budget cuts threaten the future of the National Park Service and the country’s beloved landscapes.  

While some of these international- and national-level changes can leave us feeling somewhat helpless (myself, included), there is still much we can do. Some of the most important change comes from local, grassroots action. There’s plenty of ways to get involved with local conservation in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest this Earth Day and every day, in line with the 2025 Earth Day theme, “Our Power, Our Planet.” Here’s a few ideas to get you started.  

Stay active while cleaning up the city

On April 19, participate in Seattle’s Earth Day Run at Magnuson Park. Get outside and breathe in fresh air as you run along the lake. At the end, each participant receives a native sapling tree. You can take it home or plant it at the park. Planting a single tree holds a lot of power. One tree can absorb up to 10 pounds of air pollutants a year, while also producing nearly 260 pounds of oxygen. A Magnuson Park gardener will be around to answer questions, provide information about native trees, and offer tips for planting. A portion of your registration fee will go to support local environmental organizations.

Earth Day Run at Magnuson Park

Photo courtesy of Magnuson Series

Get out on the water with Puget Soundkeeper for a variety of clean-up events around the week of Earth Day. 

• April 19: Paddle on the Duwamish River with a guided kayak tour and clean-up. Both morning and afternoon shifts are available. 
• April 19: Celebrate Earth Day at the Arboretum, where you can join the park clean-up from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Help remove invasive weeds, learn about creating pollinator habitats at your home garden, and more.
• April 23: Join a kayak and clean up on Lake Union from noon until 2 p.m.
• April 26: Participate in the Earth Month clean-up around Lake Washington at Magnuson Park from 10 a.m. until noon.

Be part of the conversation

If you’re eager to dig deeper into the climate challenges facing Seattle and Western Washington, partake in the Climate solutions series at Town Hall Seattle the evening of April 22. The event is hosted by Seattle Parks Foundation and will include a conversation led by local leaders in the climate space about nature-based climate solutions, resiliency, and ways the community can get involved. It’s a fantastic opportunity to join the conversation yourself, learn about challenges and solutions around topics ranging from urban food systems to tree canopy solutions, and connect to ways to get involved with grassroots efforts.  

Conscious imbibing

Seattle and the surrounding area have plenty of bars and cafes dedicated to eco-friendly practices and celebrating the bounties of our land. Throughout April, Schilling Cider is donating 5% of profits from the sales of two ciders — Excelsior Imperial Apple and Moon Berries — to nonprofits protecting wild spaces in the US, including Washington Wild and Wildlands Conservancy. Wine lovers can enjoy a glass or two at Footprint Wine Tap in Capitol Hill. Footprint prioritizes sustainability by sourcing responsibly produced wines from across the Pacific Northwest. One of its major pillars in reducing its carbon footprint is seeking alternative wine packaging when possible. This means pouring wine from kegs and offering reusable growlers for take-home wine. 

Footprint Wine Tap in Capitol Hill

Photo courtesy of Footprint

Owner and winemaker Ken Dillon of Footprint Wine Tap.

Photo courtesy of Footprint

Learn about the Earth

Are you new to outdoor adventures, gardening, and nature-related hobbies? Or perhaps you’re an outdoor enthusiast who wants to up your backcountry skills? For Earth Month, take a backcountry 101 class, learn more about gardening, or take a naturalist class. 

Join the Mountaineers community, which offers a diverse scope of courses designed to get you outside, including naturalist and environmental courses, backpacking skills, sea kayaking courses, and more. Learn how to track wildlife in three of Washington’s ecosystems with Raven’s Roots Naturalist School. Participate in the P-Patch Community Gardening Program, which oversees urban spaces to grow organic food and flowers. On April 19, P-Patch is hosting a free event at the Northwest African American Museum, where you can scope out organic seeds and fertilizers and get tips for starting your own garden.   

P-Patch Community Gardening Program

Photo courtesy of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods

Pitch in with local restoration

Maintaining our local trails and parks is an important and timely part of preserving the pristine nature around Seattle and Washington. Local environmental organizations offer plenty of opportunities to join work parties, clean-ups, and trail restoration projects. You can help Washington Trails Association (WTA) restore trails across the region by joining one of its frequent work parties. Volunteer work includes prepping trails for hiking season and clearing out fallen trees, with locations ranging from the Cougar Mountain to Columbia River Gorge. 

If the ocean is more your beat, on April 19 join Coastsavers for its annual Earth Day beach clean-up. Spend the day breathing in salty sea air with your feet in the sand as you help clean up beaches in one of two locations: the Pacific Coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For year-round opportunities, consider joining the Washington Sea Grant team to help monitor invasive green crab outbreaks in coastal areas. 

Beyond Earth Day-specific events, consider volunteering with a local environmental nonprofit throughout the year. Choose between organizations accepting volunteers such as Cascade Forest Conservancy and Washington Native Plant Society. 

Simply get outside

A reverence for nature and the drive to preserve it stems from time spent outside. Feel soil between your fingers and sand between your toes. Learn about new types of trees, flowers, and plants blossoming around us. Listen to the sound of the ocean crashing and search for small creatures in marine habitats. 

This Earth Day and this Earth Month, one of the most powerful things you can do is spend more time in nature. Take a hike in search of spring wildflowers. Walk through the Washington Park Arboretum and learn about seasonal blooms. Go for a dip in a lake or Puget Sound. 

Above all else, be curious about the natural world around you.