Seattle Parks and Recreation is all about connecting community members with nature any time of year, but each April the theme is even more important. April is Earth Month, an annual celebration and appreciation of our beautiful planet, and a chance to have fun and give back while getting some fresh spring air.
This Earth Month, join Seattle Parks and Recreation and our partners at one of the many volunteer Earth Month events happening across Seattle. You can get your hands dirty and help revitalize a much-loved park or look for wildlife along trails bursting with new growth. Volunteer activities include nature walks, gardening, trail repair, mulching, cleanup, planting, weeding, invasive species removal, nature exploration, and much more. Whatever you do, Earth Month is a great time to practice active gratitude for the bounty around us.
More volunteer opportunities can be found on the Green Seattle Partnership’s event calendar here.
Earth Month volunteer events:
April 6: English Ivy Crush at Frink Park
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Help Green Seattle Partnership and Friends of Frink Park protect open spaces from the threat of English ivy, an invasive plant that covers trees and results in a loss of native habitat. Register Here
April 7: Bird Walk on the Burke-Gilman Trail with Woody Wheeler
8 – 11 a.m. Join Friends of the Burke-Gilman Trail for our monthly Bird Walk and Citizen Science project. All ages and experience levels welcome. Woody, Wheeler, Master Birder and author will lead our walk. Contact jim.corson@comcast.net for more information.
April 7: Warren G. Magnuson Park Reforestation
9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Help create and improve thriving forest habitat on what was once a denuded and sterile navy airfield. Enjoy nature and learn a bit about native plants while doing satisfying work! Contact paulkelly@hotmail.com for more info and to join.
April 12: Help the forest grow at Me-kwa-mooks
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Help the birds, butterflies, bees, rabbits and other creatures thrive by removing invasive species such as ivy and blackberry at Me-Kwa-Mooks park in West Seattle. Contact psocoupeville@gmail.com for more information.
April 12 and 19: Wetlands Restoration and Community Lunch
10 a.m. – noon at Rainier Beach Urban Farm & Wetland. Join Tilth Alliance staff, neighbors and a longtime community crew of East African seniors. We’ll enjoy a healthy and delicious community lunch at noon, so please bring a small donation or a dish to share. Children, youth and families welcome! Contact chrishoffer@tilthalliance.org for more info.
April 13: Golden Gardens Park Work Party
9 a.m. – noon. Remove invasive weeds and plant native species that return the forest to a more natural ecosystem. We provide tools and training, so we only need your enthusiasm to help restore this beautiful park! Contact doug@greshamenvironmental.com for more info.
April 13, 20, and 27: Wildlife Walks/Bird Tours
8 – 10 a.m. at Discovery Park. Join experienced leaders as we explore for migrants and year-round residents within Discovery Park’s varied habitats. Please dress for the weather and bring binoculars if you have them. $5 for ages 8 and older. Visit this page for more info on registration.
April 14: Lewis Park Restoration Event
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Spring’s warmer weather brings out the flowers, but also the weeds! We need your held to thin out the invaders to make room for mulching, among other tasks. Contact rickpaulsen@earthlink.net for more info.
April 14: Martha Washington Park Restoration
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. We’ll work to restore this Native American site and its historic white oaks by removing invasive plants, tending new plantings, watering and/or doing whatever is needed. Contact perasso@cruzio.com for more info.
April 20: Carkeek S.T.A.R.S. Work Party
9 a.m. – 12 p.m. A fun morning of forest restoration and trails maintenance in one of Seattle’s most beautiful parks! Contact carkeekstars@gmail.com for more info.
April 20: Duwamish Alive! Orca Earth Day
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Herrings House Park (Tulaltx). Orca populations are struggling because of the lack of their main food source – salmon, especially Chinook. Herrings House Park provides critical salmon habitat for juvenile salmon before they enter Puget Sound. Please join us in maintaining this habitat! Conact s.leishman@comcast.net for more info.
April 20: Student Conservation Association at Washington Park Arboretum
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The SCA and Washington Park Arboretum on work to restore Washington Park Arboretum, gathering members, alumni, friends and partners to weed, remove invasives, and add mulch. Meet at Crabapple Meadow, just South of the Visitor Center. More info here.