The Guide to Earth Day Events in Los Angeles

Celebrate our planet at the Natural History Museum's annual Earth Day Festival! Taking place in the Nature Gardens on Saturday, April 19, the day-long event includes live musical performances, hands-on activities, up-close encounters with behind-the-scenes Museum collections, a Science of SpongeBob exploration with help from our partners at Nickelodeon, and much more. Free with paid Museum admission and Members.

The Plant Sale returns to The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA for its third year. Artist Alika Cooper's itinerant collaborative event brings together artists and growers from across LA to celebrate and sell plants and related goods. This year’s event will also include a Sustainable Skillbuilding herbalism workshop led by Blue Hour Goods, highlighting the healing properties of native plants. The Plant Sale is free and open to all!

The LA Zoo presents the annual Wild for the Planet, a weekend celebration of our precious planet and its rich biodiversity. Taking place from 10am to 4pm on April 18-20, Wild for the Planet includes fun and inspiring activities, entertainment, and presentations focused on conservation, sustainability and community.

For extra springtime fun, cuddly long-eared friend Big Bunny will be available for professional photos over the holiday weekend (additional fee).

In honor of Earth Day, the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks and Friends of Griffith Park invite Angelenos to beautify the Griffith Park Visitor Center by planting native plants and learning about environmental programming in the area. The Earth Day activities will take place from 8:30am to 11am. Free admission, RSVP at Eventbrite. Bring water and comfortable shoes!

One of LA's most popular botanical gardens, Descanso Gardens is hosting its annual celebration of native plants as part of its weeklong observation of Earth Day. View displays created by Descanso horticulture staff, including majestic oaks. Free with admission, no registration required.

In celebration of Earth Month, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will reflect on the importance of finding ways to take care of our planet. Families can create miniature sets using a variety of discarded materials at the museum's Drop-In Workshops, which will take place from 12:30pm to 2:30pm on April 12 and 19 in the Shirley Temple Education Studio on the Lower Level. The workshops are free with museum admission and open to all ages.

Founded in 1973 by then 18-year-old activist Andy Lipkis, TreePeople is an LA-based nonprofit environmental organization that has inspired more than 3 million people to take action for our environment by planting and caring for trees in forests, mountains, parks and our neighborhoods.

Support TreePeople by volunteering at a special Earth Day edition of their weekly Park Work Day, taking place at their headquarters in the 45-acre Coldwater Canyon Park atop Mulholland Drive from 9am to noon on Tuesday, April 22. Help restore the Betty Dearing trail and contribute to the biodiversity, climate resilience, and natural beauty of the park by removing invasive species, installing native plants and maintaining the trail to prevent erosion and wildfires. Sign up at the TreePeople website.

With spring in the air, we're thinking of all the ways to celebrate our planet. From our favorite producers who give back to the land; to all the ways to create less waste in the kitchen, here is a perfect and delicious recipe for Earth Day to highlight how to help to reduce food waste right from your own kitchen. Hosted by Eataly at Westfield Century City, Earth Day Cooking: Spring Risotto will teach guests how to prepare a seasonal risotto with the guidance of Chef of La Scuola paired with a complimentary glass of wine.

Environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay is hosting two Earth Day events at the historic Santa Monica Pier on Saturday, April 19.

The Nothin' But Sand Beach Cleanup is taking place from 10am to noon at Tower 1550. Heal the Bay will provide the supplies - all you need to do is register, sign a waiver and show up!

The Heal the Bay Aquarium is hosting its family-friendly Earth Day Celebration from noon to 4pm.

Founded by a group of Malibu surfers in 1984, the Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit grassroots organization with a volunteer-activist network dedicated to protect and enjoy the world's oceans, waves and beaches.

Join Surfrider at the Dockweiler Beach Dune Project from 9am to 11am on Saturday, April 19. Volunteers will be collecting trash alongside local community partners, The Bay Foundation, as they work on their ongoing living shoreline dune restoration project. Gloves, grabbers, reusable trash bags, sunscreen and a water refill station will be provided - just remember to bring a reusable water bottle!

Located at the end of the Manhattan Beach Pier, the Roundhouse Aquarium is hosting Keep it Green, Keep it Clean from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, April 19. Family-friendly activities include Plankton Races, Search for Dolphins & Wildlife (BYO binoculars) and the CSULB Shark Lab. Free admission, RSVP recommended at the Aquarium website.

The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is hosting Earth Day Take Action Day from 9am to noon on Saturday, April 19. Participate in earth care activities, learn from local organizations, create recycled arts & crafts, browse hand-crafted items made by local artisans, shop earth-friendly products in the gift shop and enjoy food truck fare. Free and open to all ages.