Earth Day

Parks & Recreation Special Events Office

Celebrate, Educate, and Make a Difference

Celebrate Earth Day with Parks & Rec at Mount Trashmore. The event brings the Virginia Beach community together to raise awareness about environmental issues and promote sustainable practices. Immerse yourself in educational talks, hands-on experiences, and informational displays - all focused on environmental stewardship. Stop by the food trucks to grab a bite!

In-Person Events

Earth Day Celebration, April 20

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mount Trashmore Park

Show your love for planet Earth by celebrating with Virginia Beach Parks & Rec! Stop by Mount Trashmore for a fun-filled day full of exhibitors and vendors. Food trucks will be present, and there will be educational talks, hands-on experiences, and informational displays all centered around the environment.

Recycling Zone, April 20

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mount Trashmore Park

Come out to Mount Trashmore Park where a recycle zone will be set up for the general public to drop off items such as hazardous household waste, documents for on-site shredding, car seats, prescription drugs, batteries, and electronics to be recycled properly by various vendors.

Earth Day Vendors

askHRgreen
Bee City USA
Bartlett Tree Experts
City of Virginia Beach Department of Human Services/Prevention Services
City of Virginia Beach Human Resources
City of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation - Inclusion Services
City of Virginia Beach Public Works Waste Management
Coastal Edge
Convert Solar
Drishti Compost
Elizabeth River Project
Flower Made LLC
Food Rescue US - Virginia Beach
Friends of Live Oaks
Hermitage Elementary School Ecology Club
HRSD
Leave No Trace
Lynnhaven River NOW
Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
Surfrider Foundation
The Butterfly Society of Virginia
Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club
Tidewater Master Naturalist
TRAFFIX/ Hampton Roads Transit
U.S. Navy Stewards of the Sea
Virginia Beach Clean Cities/Drive Electric Tidewater
Virginia Beach Clean Community Commission
Wildlife Response

Earth Day 1970

Earth Day was actually established on April 22, 1970, by Gaylord Nelson, a former U.S. Senator from Wisconsin. Nelson came up with the idea for a national day to focus on the environment after he witnessed the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, in 1969.

Twenty million Americans — at the time, 10% of the total population of the United States — took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies.