2022 Earth Day Activities in
NMWDA Member Jurisdictions
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22nd to demonstrate support for environmental protection. One year after the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, municipalities across our Member Jurisdictions are hosting a variety of Earth Day activities. The below list is a compilation of the Earth Day activities taking place throughout the month of April that are listed on municipality websites. These activities range from community clean-ups and tree plantings to a 5k and even some festivals! There are also several hazardous household waste collection events. This list is not exhaustive, nor does the Authority endorse any activity on the list. Some events require registration ahead of the event, which is noted in the descriptions.
Anne Arundel County
Earth Day 5k
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022 from 7:30am – 1:30pm
Location: Quiet Waters Park @ 600 Quiet Waters Park Road, Annapolis, MD 21403
Start the day by running a 5K to support the Friends of Quiet Waters Park. Registration begins at 7:30 am and the race starts at 9 am. Following the race, join the rangers from 10 am-1 pm for fun Earth Day activities! Learn about invasive species, pollinators, composting, and much more!
Contact Ranger Liz with questions: rpschi66@aacounty.org or go to spring-guide.pdf (aacounty.org)
Baltimore City
Mayor Scott’s Spring Day of Service
Date: Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 9am-1pm
Location: You will be notified of your site via e-mail a week ahead.
Mayor Brandon M. Scott and Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Jason W. Mitchell encourage residents to organize to clean and beautify their neighborhoods for the Mayor’s Spring Cleanup. Community associations, block leaders, and organizations throughout the city can register their cleaning activities and request that City trucks visit their locations to collect by calling 311 or registering online. DPW will provide five trash collection bags to registered participants. Bags can be picked up at the following DPW locations: 2840 Sisson St. or 111 Kane St. Participants will need to provide their registration number to receive clean up bags.
Individual residents are welcome to informally clean where they live by cleaning up loose litter around their properties, alleyways, and curbsides. Trash collected informally can be bagged and placed out with your household trash for weekly pick up, or residents can bring bagged trash to a Residential Drop-Off Center.
Register your clean-up event or sign up as a volunteer by either calling 311 or going online.
Sign-up form for Day of Service | Mayor Brandon M. Scott (baltimorecity.gov)
Baltimore County
Litter Blitz
Date: The entire month of April!
Location: Various locations determined by clean-up organizers
Baltimore County is encouraging Baltimore County residents to organize or attend a clean-up during Earth Month. Upon request, Baltimore County is providing each registered cleanup with up to 10 pairs of safety gloves and 20 contractor bags, available for pick up in advance at one of 14 county locations. The County is also providing post-cleanup trash pickup upon request.
If you would like to be a Litter Blitz organizer, please register a cleanup, download resources, and report your post-cleanup results online at Litter Blitz – Baltimore County (baltimorecountymd.gov)
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event
Date: Sunday, April 24, 2022, from 9 am – 1 pm
Location: Eastern Sanitary Landfill, 6259 Days Cove Road, White Marsh, MD 21162
The Baltimore County Bureau of Solid Waste Management is hosting a household hazardous waste collection event in conjunction with the Baltimore County Fire Department and Baltimore County Police. Please bring any of the following materials: ammunition, automotive fluids, cleaning solvents, fireworks, fluorescent light bulbs, lawn and garden chemicals, mercury thermometers and thermostats, paints and chemicals, prescription medicines, rechargeable batteries, swimming pool chemicals, and/or waste fuel.
Carroll County
Household Hazardous Waste Spring Cleanup Event
Date: Saturday, April 9th from 8 am – 12 pm
Location: Carroll County Vehicle Maintenance Facility @ 1250 Old Meadow Branch Road, Westminster, MD 21158
Carroll County residents can get a start on their spring cleaning at this event! Residents may drop off dangerous household items such as gasoline or gas/oil mix, kerosene, oil-based paints and thinners, solvents, stain sealants, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, photographic and pool chemicals, household cleaners, compact fluorescent light bulbs, fluorescent light tubes, nickel-cadmium, and NIMH batteries. Residents may also bring sensitive documents to shred until the truck is full (maximum of 3 boxes/bags per resident).
For more details, call Carroll County at 410-386-2510 or visit Carroll County Government | Household Hazardous Waste Spring Cleanup Event Carroll County, Maryland (carrollcountymd.gov).
Compost and Rain Barrel Pick-Up
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 8 am – 1 pm
Location: Carroll County Government @ 225 North Center Street, Westminster, MD 21157
Pre-order your compost bins and rain barrels online by April 17th to pick them up in time for Earth Day!
For more information, please contact Carroll County at 410-386-2510 or visit www.enviroworld.us/carrollcountymd.
Frederick County
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Earth Day Tree Planting
Date: Friday, April 22, 2022, from 10 am – 1 pm
Location: You will receive additional details about the location and directions via e-mail during the week prior to the event.
Join us for our annual Earth Day tree planting on a farm in the Catoctin Mountains of Frederick County. We will plant the first of 1,600 trees and shrubs on eight acres along Friends Creek on a farm in Sabillasville. Plan to dress for the weather, as this event is outdoors and will be held rain or shine. Bring shovels, work gloves, a reusable water bottle, and lunch. We will have a limited number of clean gloves and shovels available at the site, and light snacks and water bottle refills will be available. Registration closes April 21, 2022.
Register at Chesapeake Bay Foundation (cbf.org)
Stream-Link Education Volunteer Tree Planting
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 9 am – 11 am
Location: Tom’s Creek, 16693 Creamery Road, Emmitsburg, MD 21727
We will be planting trees in honor of Earth Day at Tom’s Creek. Space is limited to the first 100 volunteers.
Please sign-up using this link: Stream-Link Education: Stream-Link Education Volunteer Event Schedule (signupgenius.com)
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Friends Creek Tree Planting
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 9 am – 1 pm
Location: You will receive additional details about the location and directions via e-mail during the week prior to the event.
Join us for our annual Earth Day tree planting on a farm in the Catoctin Mountains of Frederick County. We will plant the first of 1,600 trees and shrubs on eight acres along Friends Creek on a farm in Sabillasville. Plan to dress for the weather, as this event is outdoors and will be held rain or shine. Bring shovels, work gloves, a reusable water bottle, and lunch. We will have a limited number of clean gloves and shovels available at the site, and light snacks and water bottle refills will be available.
Please sign-up using this link: Stream-Link Education: Stream-Link Education Volunteer Event Schedule (signupgenius.com)
Harford County
Tree Planting
Date: April 15, 2022, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
Location: 3241 Scarboro Rd, Street, MD 21154
Harford County will celebrate Arbor Day this year by planting 230 trees at the Harford County Waste Disposal Center in Street. Volunteers are needed to help with the plantings. Families, civic organizations, school groups, and Scouts are welcome. Everyone will receive a free tree to take home. Participants should bring a shovel and work gloves, if they have them, and arrive at 9:30 a.m. at the parking area off Sandy Hook Road. Tree planting will begin at 10 a.m. and is expected to last two to three hours.
This year’s event will feature demonstrations from many local environmental organizations. The free native tree will be provided courtesy of the Forest Conservancy District Board of Harford County, an advocacy group that promotes stewardship, conservation, and sustainable use of Maryland’s forest resources.
The celebration will include the presentation of the Arbor Day Foundation’s National Arbor Day Tree City USA Award to the Harford County government. The award, which Harford will be presented for the 19th time, recognizes the work of elected officials, staff, and citizens who plant and care for the community forest, benefiting the environment and the economy. The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit conservation organization of nearly one million members whose mission is to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.
Trees reduce air, noise, and visual pollution, stabilize soils and reduce water pollution through absorption. They also enhance property values and provide protection from the sun by reducing glare; reducing the heat island effect by shading buildings and parking lots and adding beauty to our surroundings.
More information about this year’s Arbor Day celebration is available from the Department of Planning and Zoning, at 410-638-3103 ext. 1359.
Howard County
Greenfest
Date: Saturday, April 9th, 2022, from 10 am – 3pm
Location: Howard County Community College @10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD 21044
GreenFest is Howard County’s largest celebration of Earth Day. The event aims to connect residents with the resources that local businesses, non-profits, and government provide to help anyone be a good steward of the environment. The event will feature a native plant sale, document shredding, a rain barrel, compost bin giveaway, and more!
For more details, visit GreenFest | Howard County (howardcountymd.gov)
Montgomery County
Greenfest
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2022, from 11 am – 5 pm
Location: Brookside Gardens @ 1800 Glenallen Avenue, Wheaton, MD 20902
This free event is a chance for residents, businesses, nonprofits, and neighbors, to come together, share ideas and learn. Plus, GreenFest has tons of fun activities for the whole family.
For more details, visit Montgomery County GreenFest