Earth Day

Earth Day is Saturday, April 22nd. You’ll be able to find your friendly WABA staffers at events all across the region. We’re sponsoring or co-sponsoring two events below plus highlighting a bunch of other ways folks can celebrate.

Earth Day and Celebrate Trails Day at Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm. First up, join WABA for a river and trail clean up effort at Oxon Cove on Saturday, April 22nd. We’re partnering with the National Park Service and the Potomac Riverkeeper Network along with our friends at Anacostia Parks & Community Collaborative, Friends of Oxon Run, Capital Trails Coalition, and DC’s Department of Energy & Environment. We’ll host volunteers in two shifts, with access from both the DC and Maryland sides of this hidden gem of a park. Event details here, or jump straight to registration here. Want to bike to the event? We’ll have you covered with bike racks at both entrances. 

Mindful Like Marvin: Marvin Gaye Trail Tour. Looking for a different kind of Earth Day experience? Join WABA’s Trail Rangers and well-being expert Radiance Basden for a multisensory walking tour on Sunday, April 23rd. The walk will feature meditation and prompts to activate your awareness of your environmental impact. Starting/ending point at the Marvin Gaye Mosaic on Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE. Let us know you’re coming here. 

Other Earth Day opportunities include:

Anacostia Watershed Society Clean Up Events. Join AWS to rid area rivers and streams of bottles, cans, and plastics at over 29(!) neighborhood and park sites throughout the District, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County.  

Earth Day Invasive Removal on the Mount Vernon Trail. The intrepid volunteers at Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail will be out removing honeysuckle and other invasive species from the venerable MVT. 

Earth Day in Eckington. Eckington Parks & Arts brings together community leaders and advocates working to address tree coverage, air quality, and greener living, featuring kids activities and giveaways.

Celebrate Trails Day Events. Our good friends at Rails-to-Trails Conservancy celebrate Earth Day by highlighting trails every year. Find an event in your community (including our Oxon Cove event!). 

Earth Day Rally at Freedom Plaza. Protest is a form of service, too – join the rally to end the era of fossil fuels featuring concerts, a march, and an organizing fair to wrap it up.

Looking for more celebratory events specifically in your community? Arlington County (here) and the City of Alexandria (here) have each published extensive calendars of events centered around Earth Day and sustainability. Alternatively, Fairfax County will host an Earth Day festival at the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly – more info here. Montgomery County residents have TWO opportunities to catch their own Earth Day-centered festival – GreenFest happens Saturday at Brookside Gardens and Sunday in Wheaton. Prince George’s residents can choose from a selection of Earth Month activities, including trail adjacent clean-ups hosted by the Anacostia Watershed Society.