Celebrating Earth Day in SLO County? Find beach cleanups, tree planting and more
Do you shop with reusable bags? Drink out of refillable bottles?
These simple practices are easy ways to create a greener environment.
Other ways to help fight climate change include picking up litter and recycling plastics.
On Wednesday, April 22, people around the world will celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up streets, parks, beaches and more.
Several San Luis Obispo County groups will be hosting vents to boost environmental initiatives.
Learn how you can participate:
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is an international environmental movement that advocates for climate education and healthier ecological practices.
In 1970, 20 million people “mobilized to call for greater protections for our planet.” EarthDay.org said on its website.
EarthDay.org, which advertises itself as the “world’s largest recruiter to the environmental movement,” promotes Earth Day celebrations that include community clean-ups, teach-ins, tree planting and town hall meetings.
What are Earth Day events in SLO and Morro Bay?
The city of San Luis Obispo is hosting an Earth Day Invasive Plants Removal event on Wednesday, April 22.
Volunteers will join staff from the city Office of Sustainability and Natural Resources at the Johnson Ranch Open Space for a “hands-on opportunity to care for our local natural spaces,” the city said.
Participants will receive training and a quick of overview of how to identify and safely remove invasive plants to restore habitats in the area.
Registration for the event, which is open to all, closes Monday, April 20.
You can also sign up for the city’s RecycleRight Volunteer program.
These volunteers “help teach community members about properly sorting waste” to support SLO’s climate action goals, the city said.
RecycleRight participants will help run an informational booth at the Downtown SLO Farmers’ Market on Thursday, April 23.
The Morro Bay National Estuary Program is holding a beach cleanup event on Wednesday, April 22.
Participants will meet up at Centennial Parkway near the giant chessboard on Front Street anytime from 3 to 5 p.m.. Gloves, bags and pickers will be provided, but volunteers can bring their own gear as well.
“Anyone is welcome to come help keep our town and watershed clean and healthy,” organizers said.
What are things to do in Pismo Beach?
Head to the Celebrate Earth Day event at the Pismo Beach Pier on Saturday, April 25, for activities ranging from a beach clean-up to nature photography.
The Pismo Beach Stewardship and Educational Outreach Program will host the event, which runs from noon to 2 p.m.
Local artist Avery of Mandala Sea will create an Earth Day mural in the sand below the pier. “The finished piece will be best viewed at low tide around 1 p.m.,” organizers said.
You can pick up trash on the beach after stopping by the stewardship booth near the Airstream trailer on the pier to borrow buckets, gloves and grabbers, or participate in the City Nature Challenge by photographing living things and logging them on free app iNaturalist.
“Every plant, bird, insect and tide pool creature counts,” the city of Pismo Beach said.
Meanwhile, the Sandcastle Hotel in Pismo Beach will host an Earth Day Beach Bash on Saturday, providing complimentary buckets, shovels and prizes.
Where can I plant trees in Oceano?
In Oceano, the Environmental Center of San Luis Obispo and San Luis Obispo County Parks are inviting the public to help them plant native trees.
The event runs from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 25, at Oceano Memorial Park, 1330 Dewey Drive in Oceano.
What else can I do to help the environment?
If you can’t make it to an Earth Day event, there are other ways to support the cause.
EarthDay.org has multiple petitions for people to sign, some focused on plastics in oceans, the fashion industry and renewable energy.
Organizers also suggest these tips to help the environment:
- Go pesticide-free.
- Contact your local government representatives.
- Read books about climate solutions.
- Shop at local farmers markets.
- Eat plant-based meals.
- Plant a pollinator garden.
- Switch to clean energy.
- Grow an organic garden.
- Say no to fast fashion.
