WHEATON, Md.— Every day is Earth Day at Montgomery Parks, but in April we invite everyone to get involved. Sign up to volunteer for a park cleanup or weed warrior event, spruce up your garden with purchases from our native plant sales, or participate in one of our special Earth Month programs. Happy Earth Month!
Volunteer Opportunities
Park cleanups
Join a cleanup to help remove litter from a park, trail, or stream.
Weed Warrior events
Volunteer to rid the ecosystem of non-native invasive plants at a Weed Warrior event in a park near you.
Plant Sales
Maydale Nature Classroom and Brookside Gardens are hosting plant sales to help everyone get a head start on spring gardening with native plants. See the full list of Montgomery Parks plant sales.
More Earth Month Special Programs
Eco-friendly Planters | April 5 | 10 ‒11 a.m.
Brookside Gardens, Wheaton
Celebrate the weeks leading up to Earth Day by creating a pot from reused, recycled, or upcycled materials and transplanting a seedling grown at Brookside Gardens to take home. Learn about the specific plant and take a garden walk to find it growing outside. Ages 8-10. $10 per person.
D.C. Environmental Film Festival: Screening and Panel Discussion | April 5 | 10 a.m.‒12 p.m.
Brookside Gardens, Wheaton
Free screening of Jennifer MacArthur’s documentary film: “Family Tree” which explores the conservation challenges involved in protecting our country’s forests at the local level. Expert panel discussion follows. All ages. Free.
Share Fair | April 5 | 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Black Hill Discovery Center, Boyds
Give your gently used, once-loved items a second life and promote reuse and reducing waste at this community, free, yard sale. Free.
Insect Indicators! | April 5 | 12:30-2 p.m.
Maydale Nature Classroom, Colesville
Insects make the world go round by pollinating the food we eat, keeping other insect pests in check, and acting as sanitation experts, cleaning up our waste. Learn more about these important creatures and how they help. Ages 6 and older. Free.
Getting Started with Native Plants: Nativescaping 101 | April 13 | 2-4 p.m.
Locust Grove Nature Center, Bethesda
Introductory program to #PlantNative series. Learn about the benefits of native plants, for ecological landscaping and how to incorporate them in your yard. Ages 18 and older. $20 per person.
Youth BioBlitz | April 19 | 11 a.m.‒12 p.m.
Brookside Gardens, Wheaton
Help to collect real data and take a snapshot of the biodiversity in the Gardens with your friends and a smartphone. Use the iNaturalist app to identify plants and wildlife. (A few devices will be available to borrow for anyone without a phone). Ages 13-18. Free.
Plant Swap | April 19 | 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Meadowside Nature Center, Rockville
Trade plants and get native plant giveaways with tips on how to care for them and which pollinators they can support (while supplies last). All ages. Free. (This program is bilingual in English/Spanish.)
Earth Month Family Celebration | April 26 | 10 a.m.‒2 p.m.
Brookside Gardens, Wheaton
Bring the family to celebrate Earth Day with creative, eco-friendly projects and activities to inspire young minds. All ages. Free.
Go to Montgomery Parks event calendar for a complete list of special events and programming and to learn how to sign up using ActiveMontgomery. Visit the Spring 2025 Montgomery Parks Program Guide.
Register on Active Montgomery
ActiveMontgomery is a program and facility reservation system that allows users to register online for classes, camps, programs and lessons offered by Montgomery Parks. Users must go to ActiveMontgomery and create an account before registering.
About Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 419 parks. Montgomery Parks is focused on promoting physical activity, social connectivity, and environmental stewardship, especially in diverse and urbanizing areas, with an emphasis on teens, working-age adults, and seniors. Montgomery Parks is a department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems.
Accessibility at Montgomery Parks
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit Montgomery Parks Program Access for more information.
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