This month, I was going to write about birds, unveiling an epic of expansion and recession, of species pitted against one another. A tale that can wait. April is Earth Month, when Earth Day happens, which is a much more pressing. I’d love to smush together the ornithological facts that I can hardly keep from falling out my mouth, but I’ll ask something of you instead. Please celebrate Earth Day.

I shouldn’t have to tell you the earth is worth celebrating, but I know we’ve all got busy schedules. So, this doesn’t have to happen on April 22nd, nor necessarily the following weekend. In the next month or so, several local events celebrate our planet. Last year I asked you to get out and learn about a small bit of your environment, regardless of its origin, no matter how common place. Having done that, I’d like you to get outside and volunteer.

The Arboretum
CHS is by definition hyperlocal, so it would only be right that I highlight events very close to home. Here’s the first: As in the past several years, the Washington Park Arboretum has teamed up with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) for a day of service on the grounds. You can read the particulars about the event here, but I’d like to point out that attendance gets you a free t-shirt and free food, which is generally enough to get me positively hopping with excitement. The goal of the event is to plant, mulch, remove invasive species, and maintain the trails.

Now this isn’t glamorous work, as you’ll likely sweat and get dirty in the process. Nor will I suggest that spreading mulch will save the planet. However, you’ll be giving back to one of the more expansive green spaces we’re so lucky to have nearby, which (if you ignore tax dollars), is free. Plus, and while this sounds very cheesy, you’ll engage in community. I believe community is what can protect biodiversity and environmental health worldwide, because it’s not about partisanship, it’s about collective success. We really need some success these days.

EarthDay Challenge
Ok, so maybe you aren’t the manual labor type and despite my prodding that getting a little dirty is a good way to connect with nature, you can’t bring yourself to hack at blackberries in the rain. There’s other ways to contribute. A simple one is to donate to the EarthDay Challenge, which is a cooperative of a multitude of Washington conservation groups. Donating will help a bevy of these nonprofits, and if you can handle some mud, this is also a good place to find other volunteer events.

BioBlitz
In all honesty, all I want to do in my spare time during Spring is explore nature. As it happens, there’s an event just for that. On the heels of Earth Day is the BioBlitz at Washington Park Arboretum. While having a slightly funny name, bioblitzes are awesome. The tangible goal is to inventory as many species as possible in a given place during a given amount of time. While experts can get out and do some of this on their own, the heavy lifting is in the shear data and that’s where you come in as a citizen scientist. You get the opportunity to learn about birds, bats, insects, plants, even freshwater mussels. Taxonomic experts get your help inventorying and an opportunity to raise awareness about biodiversity in their given field.

UPDATE: Capitol Hill Spring Cleaning, starting at 10 AM Sunday, April 24th in Cal Anderson:

It’s that time of year! Thats right, Spring Cleaning! Come join the Captiol Hill Ecodistrict, Capitol Hill Community Council, Cal Anderson Park Alliance, and your fellow community members at Cal Anderson Park for a Spring Clean-Up! It also happens to be Earth Day weekend, so what better way to celebrate?

This is an opportunity to get to know your neighbors and be involved in the improvement of Cal Anderson Park. We will provide the tools required for the project, but feel free to bring your own gloves, etc. Wear comfortable clothing that you don’t mind getting a little dirty.

We will be meeting up at the Shelter House located in the center of the park at 10am on Sunday, April 24th. Feel free to come by a little early if you would like to help set up. Simple breakfast foods and drinks will be provided as a thank you for your time and participation!

No matter what you decide to do for Earth Day (here’s even more events outside of the Hill), I hope you get outside (watching David Attenborough doesn’t count). Consider this: Aside from donating to a cause, all the events above are free and should be loads of fun and good for the planet. Maybe I’ll see you out there.