Earth Day Celebrates 55 Years
Published on April 18, 2025
Earth Day returns once again, celebrating 55 years of environmental awareness and action (which makes it wise enough to join Arlington’s own 55+ enrichment program).
As we mark more than five decades of protecting the planet on April 22, let’s first revel with a recap of just a few of the County’s sustainable efforts from this most recent trip around the source of solar:
And every year, Arlington moves one step closer toward its 2050 goal of becoming a carbon-neutral community.
Parks & Recreation
Arlington is building a greener, more resilient future, one tree, yard and initiative at a time.
The County Board-adopted Forestry and Natural Resources Plan is in full swing with new initiatives like the Circuit Tree Maintenance Program—maintaining trees along streets across the County on a five-year cycle and contributing to the health of Arlington’s tree canopy.
Each month, volunteers join staff for monthly habitat restoration and invasive plant removal events. Meanwhile, Arlingtonians enhance the earth’s biodiversity in their own yards through programs such as the bi-annual native plant sale , the Tree Canopy Fund and annual tree giveaway (500 homes in 2024).
As the County celebrates 55 years of Earth Day, the 55+ nature programs and events for all ages continue to encourage the community’s ever-growing appreciation for Planet Earth. Want to dig deeper? Talk to experts and explore local natural wonders at both of Arlington’s acclaimed nature centers -- now with expanded hours.
Environmental Operational Services
Arlington is well-known for its wide-range of regular environment-care services, such as street sweeping, leaf and yard waste collection, food-scrap and yard-waste composting, mulch, paper shredding, curbside- and drop-off recycling and hazardous materials-, electronics-, appliance- and inert-materials disposal.
Participate in Earth-Related Events
As pointed out each spring because it’s true: Earth Day lasts all year in Arlington.
Join in the fun at an Earth Day (or Earth-Day-adjacent) event below, or visit the growing list of Earth-related events and year-round calendars.
Here’s to another, ever-better trip around the solar source.