Earth Day is our yearly shot-in-arm reminder to be conscious and proactive when it comes to sustainability—it's our best bet at preserving our beautiful blue marble for future generations. Even though April 22 is just one day, there a lots of hardworking organizations dedicated year-round to keep our wonderful city, and planet, looking and feeling its best. Below are some of our favorite LA-based non-profits that not only have important and impactful missions but are also wonderful places to donate to or volunteer.
1. Heal the Bay
What they do: Heal the Bay is dedicated to keeping SoCal coastal waters and watersheds as safe, healthy and clean as possible. They raise awareness of growing threats to our vital marine environment such as urban and stormwater runoff, plastic pollution and over-fishing. They also organize community action programs throughout the area.
How to help: HtB offer a wide variety of volunteer options that range from low to high time commitments. Services include opportunities like beach cleanups, ambassadorships to promote awareness and office support (a position of often vital importance to any non-profit).
2. Friends of the Los Angeles River (FOLAR)
What they do: The main mission of FOLAR is to "protect and restore the natural and historic heritage of the Los Angeles river." They do so through various initiatives that include education, promoting sustainable development and reforesting and re-vegetating the river's watershed.
How to help: There are occasional activities and opportunities available like their Great Los Angeles River Clean Up. Thousands of volunteers show up to this annual "work party" and get to enjoy live music and fun activities.
3. TreePeople
What they do: TreePeople focuses on the planting and caring of (you guessed it) trees, and educating city dwellers about the importance of said trees to the future of Los Angeles. The non-profit works hard under the knowledge that trees combat climate change, prevent water pollution and increase our overall quality of life.
How to help: TreePeople offers tons of volunteer opportunities here ranging from planting trees in urban areas to mountain forestry, where volunteers work to restore damaged forests and ecosystems to aid in wildfire prevention.
4. Grades of Green
What they do: The goal of Grades of Green is simple and powerful: Instill a knowledge of environmental awareness and caring for the planet in children. Since kids are the future, making sure they know the importance of sustainability is one of our best bets at keeping the planet healthy. The organization partners with 292 schools across 38 states to empower students with knowledge and skills of a low-impact lifestyle.
How to help: There are many initiatives and activities for volunteers to be a part of, like Trash Free Tuesday and Walk to School Wednesday, that are geared towards introducing a lifestyle of environmental consciousness in children.
5. Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
What they do: The LA Neighborhood Land Trust creates urban parks and gardens in underserved neighborhoods across Los Angeles. The work they do builds community while giving people access to green spaces and fresh produce where they may otherwise be unavailable.
How to help: The Trust offers a number of way to volunteer, whether you want to get your hands dirty in the garden or help get the community involved.
Looking for Earth Day events in LA?