It’s April and that means that Earth Day is right around the corner! This year, Earth Day is on Saturday, April 22nd, and it’s a great opportunity to join in the fight against marine debris and prevent trash from entering our ocean, waterways, and Great Lakes. There are lots of cleanup events happening on and around Earth Day; make sure you’re prepared by knowing what cleanups are happening in your area! Here are a few to get you started:
Alabama:
Date: April 15-22; Host: Alabama PALS; Location: throughout Alabama
California:
Date: April 22; Host: California State Parks; Location: sites throughout California
Date: April 22; Host: City of Oakland; Location: sites in Oakland, CA
Date: April 22; Host: I Love a Clean San Diego; Location: sites in San Diego County, CA
Date: April 22; Host: Save Our Shores; Location: sites in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, CA
Connecticut:
Date: April 22; Host: Washington Environmental Council; Location: Washington, CT
Date: April 22; Host: Southwestern Area Health Education Center; Location: Short Beach Park, Stratford, CT
Date: April 22; Host: Keep Madison Clean; Location: Madison, CT
Date: April 22 & 23; Host: Norwalk River Watershed Association and Woodcock Nature Center; Location: sites in Norwalk, Ridgefield, and Wilton, CT
Delaware:
Date: April 22; Host: Town of Fenwick Island; Location: Fenwick Island Town Hall, DE
Date: April 22; Host: The Nature Conservancy; Location: sites in New Castle and Wilmington, DE
District of Columbia:
Date: April 22; Host: Anacostia Watershed Society; Location: sites in Washington, DC
Date: April 22; Host: Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Garden; Location: Washington, DC
Florida:
Date: April 22; Host: Ocean Hour; Location: Park East and Park West, Pensacola Beach, FL
Georgia:
Date: April 23; Host: Tybee Clean Beach; Location: Tybee Island Marine Science Center, Tybee Island, GA
Hawaii:
Date: April 22; Host: Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii; Location: Waimanalo Bay Beach Park, Waimanalo, O’ahu, HI
Date: April 22; Host: Surfrider Kauai; Location: Nukoli’i, Kauai, HI
Date: April 22; Host: Friends of Kamalani & Lydgate Park; Location: Lydgate State Park, Lihue, Kauai, HI
Date: April 22; Host: Hawai’i Wildlife Fund; Location: sites on Maui and the Big Island, HI
Date: April 22 & 23; Host: 808 Cleanups; Location: sites in Kahuku and Kapolei, O’ahu, HI
Date: April 23; Host: Sharkastics; Location: Wailuku, Maui, HI
Illinois:
Date: April 22 & 23; Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-A-Beach; Location: sites in Chicago and Evanston, IL
Indiana:
Date: April 22; Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-A-Beach; Location: Michigan City and Chesterton, IN
Maine:
Date: April 21; Host: Wells Reserve; Location: Wells, ME
Date: April 22; Host: South Portland Land Trust; Location: Portland, ME
Date: April 22; Host: Maine Audubon; Location: Scarborough, ME
Date: April 22; Host: College of the Atlantic; Location: Bar Harbor, ME
Date: April 22; Host: Friends of Fort Knox; Location: Fort Knox State Historic Site, Prospect, ME
Maryland:
Date: April 22; Host: Anacostia Watershed Society; Location: sites in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, MD
Date: April 22; Host: Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Location: Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis, MD
Massachusetts:
Date: April 22; Host: Green Roots; Location: Chelsea City Hall, Chelsea, MA
Michigan:
Date: April 22; Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-A-Beach; Location: sites in Norton Shores and Muskegon, MI
New Jersey:
Date: April 22; Host: Clean Ocean Action; Location: sites across New Jersey
Date: April 22; Host: New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; Location: sites in Cape May, Maplewood, and Jersey City, NJ (and many more!)
Date: April 22; Host: Secaucus Environmental Department; Location: Mill Creek Marsh, Secaucus, NJ
Date: April 22; Host: WeCrab; Location: Stockton University Marine Field Station, Galloway, NJ
New York:
Date: April 22; Host: Gowanus Canal Conservancy; Location: Brooklyn, NY
Date: April 22; Host: Scenic Hudson; Location: Long Dock Park, Beacon, NY
Date: April 22; Host: Concerned Citizens of Montauk; Location: Kirk Park Beach, Montauk, NY
Date: April 22; Host: Keep Islip Clean; Location: Ross Memorial Park, Bay Shore, NY
Date: April 22; Host: Keep Rockland Beautiful; Location: sites in Rockland County, NY
Date: April 22 & 23; Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-A-Beach; Location: sites in Buffalo and Dunkirk, NY
Date: April 22 & 23; Host: NYC Parks; Location: sites in Staten Island and New York, NY
North Carolina:
Date: April 22; Host: Keep Onslow Beautiful; Location: Deppe Park, Maysville, NC
Ohio:
Date: April 22; Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-A-Beach; Location: Timberlake, OH
Oregon:
Date: April 21-23; Host: SOLVE; Location: Portland, Coos Bay, and Seaside, OR (and many more!)
Pennsylvania:
Date: April 22; Host: Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; Location: sites across Pennsylvania
Rhode Island:
Date: April 22; Host: Clean Ocean Access; Location: Cliff Walk, Newport, RI
Date: April 22; Host: Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council; Location: Merino Park, Providence, RI
Date: April 21-23; Host: Save the Bay; Location: sites in Warwick, Providence, and Newport, RI (and many more!)
Texas:
Date: April 22; Host: Texas Adopt-A-Beach; Location: Rockport Beach, South Padre Island, and Galveston Island, TX (and many more!)
Virginia:
Date: April 22; Host: Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority; Location: Potomac Overlook Regional Park, Arlington, VA
Date: April 22; Host: Surfrider Virginia Beach; Location: Lake Holly, Virginia Beach, VA
Washington:
Date: April 21; Host: Surfrider Seattle; Location: Golden Gardens Park, Seattle, WA
Date: April 22; Host: Duwamish Alive! Coalition; Location: sites on the Duwamish River, WA
Wisconsin:
Date: April 22; Host: Alliance for the Great Lakes Adopt-A-Beach; Location: sites in Racine, Milwaukee, amd Manitowoc, WI
Don’t see a cleanup close to you? Keep an eye on our blog and website for updates closer to Earth Day or start one yourself—gather some friends, grab some gloves and bags, and clean up your area (please remember, safety first)!