The goal of Celebrate Trees! Earth Month Bainbridge Island is to raise awareness of and encourage involvement in Arbor Day and Earth Day events and to inspire everyone to protect our trees, our environment, and our planet all month and throughout the year.

2024 Earth Month Activities

Attract Predatory Insects to Protect Your Garden, April 2, 6:30-8 pm on Zoom – Meet the many insects that protect your garden from pests. Learn to build their populations so they’re ready to go to work when pests arrive. Attend this Veg Club Zoom session at https://krl.zoom.us/j/85709916119 . Free, no registration required. Produced by Bainbridge Prepares & the Bainbridge branch of Kitsap Regional Library. Email Carol@hawkapp.com with questions or to get on the class reminder and news list.

Afternoon on the Trails, Sunday, April 7, 1 pm – 5 pm, at IslandWood Campus – IslandWood’s trail systems will be open for a family-friendly, self-guided exploration. Hike leisurely down the Spine Trail and traverse the ravine on a suspension bridge. We’ll have maps for you so you can find your way around and will be happy to suggest a route that is suitable for your family and abilities. If you’ve come before, we welcome you back again. There is always something new to see every season! Get your tickets here!

Red Pine Park Work Party, Tuesday, April 9, 10am-noon, at Red Pine Park – Work with the Park District’s horticulture staff and the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation to maintain garden beds, a historic fruit orchard, edible perennials, and other historic plantings in this former homestead in the heart of downtown. Please RSVP here.

Breakfast with the Birds, Friday, April 12, 7 am – 9 am, at IslandWood Campus – Join us for a fresh selection of bagels, spreads, coffee, tea & juice, lox, vegetarian proteins, and breakfast wraps to fuel us for the morning ahead on the trails. Bellies full, and binoculars in hand, we’ll hit the trails intently looking and listening for as many species as we can identify. IslandWood’s 250-acre property contains several unique ecosystems including a freshwater pond, cattail marsh, sphagnum bog, a ravine, and conifer forests that boast several species of woodpeckers! This event is well suited for people 10+. Bring your own binoculars (and we will also have some to share as well). Get your tickets here. Make sure to double check which of the three dates you want to attend.

Conservation Work Party, Saturday, April 13, 10am-noon, at Battle Point Park – Join the Park District and our partners this Earth Month caring for the trees of Battle Point Park. Volunteers will meet at the Duck Pond to spread mulch for tree and soil health and pull invasive weeds like ivy and Scotch broom. Well suited for children ages six and up who are comfortable using some tools and walking off trail on uneven surfaces. Please RSVP here.

Geology Rocks, Sunday, April 14, 2 pm – 3:30 pm, at IslandWood – John Cornish is a mineral and fossil educator who passionately shares his love of the Earth Sciences through his energetic, family-friendly, Geology ROCKS! program. Come join John and be prepared to smile, laugh, and be fascinated as we learn more about the natural treasures awaiting discovery here in the Pacific Northwest. This educational presentation is truly for all-ages. John’s displays of minerals, gems and fossils are as jaw-dropping as his enthusiasm for the science of discovery. Get your tickets here.

And It Has Pockets: Sunday, April 14, 3-4:30pm, at BARN – What do pockets have to do with sustainability? Well, most clothes are thrown out after just a few wearings. Wouldn’t you keep clothing longer if it were more useful and practical? Don’t you get frustrated when your pants don’t even have a place for your keys? Diane Johnston, a clothing historian and speaker sponsored by Humanities Washington, will be telling us about the fascinating history of pockets in women’s clothing. Sign up here.

Moritani Preserve Work Party, Thursday, April 18, 10am-noon, Moritani Preserve – Join the Park District’s Natural Resources team and the Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation in caring for the woods and meadows of Moritani Preserve by managing invasive species, maintaining garden beds, and planting natives when the weather is right. Please RSVP here.

Breakfast with the Birds, Friday, April 19, 7 am – 9 am, at IslandWood Campus – Join us for a fresh selection of bagels, spreads, coffee, tea & juice, lox, vegetarian proteins, and breakfast wraps to fuel us for the morning ahead on the trails. Bellies full, and binoculars in hand, we’ll hit the trails intently looking and listening for as many species as we can identify. IslandWood’s 250-acre property contains several unique ecosystems including a freshwater pond, cattail marsh, sphagnum bog, a ravine, and conifer forests that boast several species of woodpeckers! This event is well suited for people 10+. Bring your own binoculars (and we will also have some to share as well). Get your tickets here. Make sure to double check which of the three dates you want to attend.

Trails Work Party, Saturday, April 20, 10am-noon, at Battle Point Park – Join the Park District and our partners this Earth Month improving the trails at Battle Point Park. Projects could include spreading chips on trail surfacing, improving drainage, or pruning back the spring flush. These work parties are well suited for children ages eight and up who are comfortable using some tools and walking a mile or so throughout the two-hour work party. Please RSVP here.

Free Invasive Weed Disposal, Sunday, April 21, 10am-4pm, at the Bainbridge Disposal Transfer Station – Land Trust is hosting its annual Free Invasive Weed Disposal days the last two Sundays in April! Bring your invasive weeds to the Transfer Station and we’ll cover the cost of disposal. Please do not mix in non-invasive yard waste. To learn more about which plants are accepted, and to register to volunteer, go here.

Public Site Tour, Sunday, April 21, 1 pm – 4 pm, at IslandWood – A volunteer docent will lead this free three-hour walk through our ecologically diverse campus, including a cattail marsh, pond, forest, and ravine, as well as field structures such as a suspension bridge and tree house. In addition to natural history, you will learn about our educational programs and the sustainable design of our buildings. We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. This tour is for adults and teens 15+. Get your tickets here.

Breakfast with the Birds, Friday, April 26, 7 am – 9 am, at IslandWood Campus – Join us for a fresh selection of bagels, spreads, coffee, tea & juice, lox, vegetarian proteins, and breakfast wraps to fuel us for the morning ahead on the trails. Bellies full, and binoculars in hand, we’ll hit the trails intently looking and listening for as many species as we can identify. IslandWood’s 250-acre property contains several unique ecosystems including a freshwater pond, cattail marsh, sphagnum bog, a ravine, and conifer forests that boast several species of woodpeckers! This event is well suited for people 10+. Bring your own binoculars (and we will also have some to share as well). Get your tickets here. Make sure to double check which of the three dates you want to attend.

Earth Expo: Kid-friendly booths and volunteer projects, Saturday, April 27, 10am-2pm, Battle Point Park – Join the Park District and partners at our annual Earth Day Expo. There will be live music, food, and community booths with kid-focused, earth-friendly activities. Volunteer projects will be available throughout the whole event — work as long as you like and then enjoy the rest of the festivities! Volunteers will spread mulch for tree and soil health. Well-suited for children ages six and up who are comfortable using some tools and walking off trail on uneven surfaces. Please RSVP here.

Styrofoam Recycling Collection, Saturday, April 27, 10am-3pm, Kitsap County Fairgrounds – This is the only Styro recycling event for the year being hosted by Kitsap Solid Waste. Go here to see what is accepted and where specifically to enter the fairgrounds.

Shred Event, Saturday, April 27, 10am-1pm, Windermere Bainbridge – Shred event paper will be recycled.

Free Invasive Weed Disposal, Sunday, April 28, 10am-4pm, at the Bainbridge Disposal Transfer Station – Land Trust is hosting its annual Free Invasive Weed Disposal days the last two Sundays in April! Bring your invasive weeds to the Transfer Station and we’ll cover the cost of disposal. Please do not mix in non-invasive yard waste. To learn more about which plants are accepted, and to register to volunteer, go here.

Anytime Activities

Drink Like You Live Here – Take your reusable cup when you drink out. Click on the video above.

Earth Month Bingo – Easy actions you can take that add up when you make them a habit. Play by yourself or as a family. Print your own board here.

Tree tour – Take a self-guided tour of remarkable tree specimens mostly in downtown Winslow. Go to the Bainbridge Island Tree Tour page to find out how to locate the trees and learn about them.

Nominate a tree – The city has a Heritage Tree Register. If you know of a tree that is especially interesting or exceptional, be it on public or private land, consider nominating it for the register. (If on private property, the owner must consent to the nomination.) Criteria for qualifying trees and the nomination form are found here.

At-home science activities for the outdoors – IslandWood has created a number of activities, songs, and exercises adaptable to any age to help inspire students to explore their own neighborhoods and communities while strengthening observation and investigation skills and deepening ecological knowledge. Check them out here.

Invasive species reporting – Get the invasives species app to help alert state officials to the next sighting of the murder hornet sighting or sprouting of daphne laureola and build their database of invasive flora and fauna.

Citizen Science: Carnivores! – Contribute your sightings to the Woodland Park Zoo’s urban carnivore spotter project, which aims to support communities in facilitating solutions to achieve positive coexistence with carnivores.

Global Amphibian Bioblitz – Seen a salamander lately? How about a spring peeper? Here’s another citizen science opportunity to record your sightings by using iNaturalist. Adding your observations will help researchers, conservationists and concerned global citizens to share information and move forward actions that conserve these incredible creatures for everyone. Read about the Bainbridge Island citizen science newt project here.

Litter pick-up – A year-round activity! If you would like to borrow grabbers for a group cleanup, please email Zero Waste. If you want to get serious about regular pick-ups, consider joining the County’s Adopt-a-Spot program. (Note: Currently the County has suspended new program enrollees from any of the county’s cities, including Bainbridge Island, until an updated interlocal agreement has been signed.)

Children’s Earth Day Books – Check out this blog page for suggestions.

Earth Day Network – Check out this page for how to take civic, community and individual actions. The Earth Day Network makes it easier for students who want to advocate for change (e.g., getting a pollinator garden, setting up a compost system, making sports sustainable) by offering advocacy packets.

************************************

Check back here for the 2024 Earth Month Calendar

and

Click here for Earth Month Bingo

to help you make Earth Day every day, all of April and beyond!

**************************************

Earth Month Planning Partners

Sustainable Bainbridge would like to thank the following organizations for their support and dedication in planning Earth Month 2023. Learn more about who they are and how you can help through the links below.

Sustainable Bainbridge Partner Programs

Zero Waste Program Logo