Earth Day is right around the corner! This year, it falls on this coming Monday, April 22nd. We encourage you to celebrate by taking the opportunity to join in the fight against marine debris and prevent trash from entering our ocean, waterways, and Great Lakes.
Cleanup efforts are an important part of preventing and removing marine debris, and there are many cleanup events happening on and around Earth Day. Interested in joining a cleanup? We’ve put together a list of cleanup opportunities taking place across the country to get you started.
Don’t see a cleanup close to you? Start one yourself! Gather some friends, clean up your local community (please remember, safety first), and use the Marine Debris Tracker App to record what you find!
A small sample of 2019 Earth Day cleanups around the country:
Alabama
April 22 - Host: Fleet Feet Sports Mobile; Location: Serda’s Brewing Company, Mobile, AL
April 22 - Host: Mobile Baykeepers; Location: One Mile Creek, Mobile, AL
Alaska
April 20 - Host: Sitka Sound Science Center, Coastal Code Cleanup; Location: Sitka, AK
April 20 - Host: Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, Coastal Code Cleanup; Location: Bishop’s Beach Pavilion, Homer, AK
April 22 - Host: Community of Yakutat; Location: Yakutat, AK; Contact rcoston@yakutatak.us for more information
California
April 20 - Host: CalRecycle; Locations across California
April 20 - Host: CalParks; Locations across California
April 20 - Host:City of Oakland; Locations across the City of Oakland
April 27 - Host: Pacifica Beach Coalition; Location: Linda Mar State Beach, Pacifica, CA
April 20 - Host: Huntington Surfrider; Location: Bolsa Chica State Beach, Huntington Beach, CA
April 20 - Host: San Diego Coastkeeper; Location: Moonlight Beach & Imperial Beach, San Diego, CA
Delaware
April 20 - Host: Town of Fenwick Island; Location: Fenwick Island Town Hall, Fenwick Island, DE
April 22 - Host: Delaware Seashore State Park; Location: Indian River Life-Saving Station, Rehoboth Beach, DE
District of Columbia
April 20 - Host: Blue Crate and Zeroing In; Location: Rock Creek Park, Washington, D.C.
Florida
April 27 - Host: Ocean Aid 360, Ghost Trap Rodeo #6; Location: Jungle Prada de Navaez Park, St. Petersburg, FL
Georgia
April 23 - Host: Tybee Clean Beach; Location: City Hall, Tybee Island, GA
Hawai‘i
April 20 - Host: Friends of Kamalani & Lydgate Park; Location: Lydgate State Park, Wailua, Kaua‘i, HI
April 20 - Host: Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund; Location: Kamilo Beach, Ka‘ū, Hawai‘i, HI
April 20 - Host: 808 Cleanups; Location: Kahuku Golf Course, Kahuku, O‘ahu, HI
April 21 - Host: 808 Cleanups; Location: Makai Research Pier, Waimānalo, O‘ahu, HI
April 21 - Host: Sustainable Coastlines Hawai‘i; Location: Waimānalo Beach Park, Waimānalo, O‘ahu, HI
Illinois
April 18-23 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Locations along Lake Michigan in Illinois
Indiana
April 18-23 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Locations along Lake Michigan in Indiana
Maine
April 19 - Host: Maine Island Trail Association; Location: Fort Foster, Kittery, ME
Maryland
April 18 - Host: Montgomery Parks; Location: Rock Creek Stream Valley Park, Redland, MD
April 20 - Host: Surfrider Foundation - OC Chapter; Location: 135th St, Ocean City, MD
April 21 - Host: Friends of Patterson Park; Location: Patterson Park Playground, Baltimore, MD
Massachusetts
April 20 - Host: Vineyard Conservation Society; Locations across Martha’s Vineyard, MA
Michigan
April 18-23 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Locations across Michigan
Minnesota
April 20 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Location: Brighton Beach, Duluth, MN
April 20 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Location: Harbor Park - Downtown Grand Marais, Grand Marais, MN
Mississippi
April 27 - Host: Mississippi Coastal Cleanup; Location: Ocean Springs Front Beach, Ocean Springs, MS
New Jersey
April 20th - Host: The Environmental Department of the Town of Secaucus; Location: Mill Creek Marsh, Secaucus, NJ
April 20th - Host: Surfrider Jersey Shore; Location: Asbury Festhalle, Asbury Park, NJ
New York
April 20 - Host: New York State Parks; Location: Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve, New York, NY
April 24-28 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Locations along Lakes Erie and Ontario in New York
North Carolina
April 20 and 27 - Host: Plastic Ocean Project; Locations across North Carolina
April 21 - Host: UNCW MarineQuest Turtle Trash Collectors; Location: Roland Ave. Public Beach Access, Surf City Beach, NC
Ohio
April 17-27 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Locations along Lake Erie in Ohio
April 22 - Host: Lake Erie Islands Conservancy; Location: Scheeff East Point Preserve Beach Cleanup, Put-in-Bay, OH
Oregon
April 20 - Host: SOLVE; Multiple locations across Oregon
Pennsylvania
April 18 - Host: Sisters of St. Joseph/Keep PA Beautiful; Location: Meet at 425 W 18th Street, Erie, PA
April 20 - Host: SONS of Lake Erie/Keep PA Beautiful; Location: Rotary Pavilion on Presque Isle, Erie, PA
April 20 - Host: East Side Neighborhood Watch / Keep PA Beautiful; Location: Bayfront & E 10th Street, Erie, PA
Rhode Island
April 18-22 - Host: Save the Bay; Locations across coastal Rhode Island
South Carolina
April 20 - Host: Myrtle Beach Paddle Board and Kayak Adventures; Location: Peachtree Landing, Myrtle Beach, SC
April 20 - Host: Winyah Sierra Club; Location: Enterprise Landing, Enterprise Landing, SC; Email Richard Laurent
April 27 - Host: Captain Smiley Fishing Charters; Location: Little River South Carolina River Sweep, Little River, SC
Virginia
April 22 - Host: Nova Parks; Location: Potomac Overlook Regional Park, Arlington, VA
April 22 - Host: Clean Fairfax; Location: Raglan Road Park, Fairfax, VA
Washington
April 20 - Host: CoastSavers; Locations along Washington State Pacific Coast, and the Straits of Juan de Fuca
Wisconsin
April 18-23 - Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes; Locations along Lakes Michigan and Superior in Wisconsin