Celebrate Earth Day All Month

Even though Earth Day is not until April 22, there are plenty are opportunities to give back to the planet throughout the month of April. Many events are right in your own backyard!

Green Your Garden

If you are looking to add a green touch to your home, you are in luck. Annual Plant Sale is going on now! The plants are provided by Walnut Springs Nursery, and half of the proceeds will go toward the 5th grade end-of-year trip, the other half benefits the whole-school initiative/ program.

Volunteer in the Community

• The Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG) and (GU) are sponsoring a Georgetown Street Cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday April 9. Participants should meet at 9 a.m. for assignments at or , and all cleaning equipment will be provided. At the end there will be barbeque with the Georgetown University Grilling Society.

• The Alice Ferguson Foundation is hosting their 23rd Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup Saturday April 9 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Friends of Rock Creek’s Environment (FORCE) needs volunteers at “The EXTREME Cleanup” at Dumbarton Oaks Tributary at . A related clean  up is the C&O Canal Pride Days clean-up projects at Fletchers Cove and Lockhouse 10. Work includes pruning and removing plant growth from historic structures, installing new grills and picnic tables, cleaning and painting signs, cleaning out trash and getting rid of weeds. For more information or to get involved, download the C&O Canal Pride Days flyer, complete an online application, or contact the Trust at 301-745-8889.

• On April 16 rebuild a trail with FORCE, the Rock Creek rangers, and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. From 9 a.m. to noon, volunteers will rebuild an eroded trail by removing invasive vines from trees in Dumbarton Oaks Park. All equipment is provided and no experience is necessary. 

Learn and Celebrate at Local Events and Festivals

• Plastic water bottles are a major trash component in Rock Creek. FORCE is hosting a viewing of “Tapped,” a documentary that compares bottled and tap water.  The program is April 14 from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church.

• The weekend before Earth Day (April 16-17) head to the National Mall to see how organizations are protecting the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a string of family-friendly hands-on activities. “Bash the Trash” and make music with recycled materials. Create some “Eco-Art,” or listen to “Earth Tales.”

• The Environmental Film Festival In The Nation’s Capital will have a bonus screening day on April 17.  These films premiered at the March festival, and in celebration of Earth Day, the films will be shown for free at the Carnegie Institution for Science.  Check the website to see what films are showing.
• The Citizens Association of Georgetown is hosting its next meeting at the on April 18 at 7 p.m. In preparation for Earth Day, Catherine Plume, the writer of DC Recycler, will answer questions about greening your lifestyle through proper recycling practices.

• Celebrate Earth Day at the National Zoo’s Earth Day Party For The Planet event on April 22. From 10 a.m. to noon take your kids and make some eco-friendly crafts or meet the Zoo’s “Green Team” and learn about the Zoo’s green practices. You also have a chance to be green and recycle at the visitor center by bring in cell phones, mp3 players, calculators, laptops, and other hazardous items.