Earth Day 2024 is this weekend, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate here in Mammoth Lakes! From organized events to individual small acts, you can help us keep our beautiful ecosystem in balance for generations to come.
Take a look at these fun, meaningful ways to be a part of 2024 Earth Day in the Eastern Sierra.
Sign up for the Wild United Clean-up Event
Meet up with like-minded folks right here in Mammoth Lakes to spend the day cleaning up our beautiful area! The official clean-up crew will meet at 8am at Looney Bean (26 Old Mammoth Road) and head out as a group to clean in community!
Afterwards, there will be a free pizza lunch with refreshments for anyone who attended the morning’s clean-up. Then, the group will head down to the hot springs to enjoy an afternoon of relaxation after their hard work!
To attend this event, make sure that you RSVP and show up with plenty of water, a hat, sunscreen, and anything else you think you’ll need for a few hours of outdoor clean-up.
Become a volunteer for the Adopt-a-Trail program
The Eastern Sierra Adopt-a-Trail program recently announced that they’ve added 12 new trails to their highly successful volunteer program! If you and your family have a favorite trail here in Mammoth Lakes, this is your chance to join the effort to keep it in excellent condition for all to enjoy.
Learn more about how to support Adopt-a-Trail by becoming a sponsor or volunteer steward. Whether you’re providing financial support from afar or are ready to roll up your sleeves and join the work crew on the ground, you’ll be supporting a wonderful Mammoth Lakes Recreation conservation effort.
Head down to Bishop for two separate Earth Day events
This year, Bishop is taking the lead when it comes to can’t-miss Earth Day events!
On Saturday, you can attend the Earth Day Sierra Celebration, organized by the Bishop Sunrise Rotary and Inyo Council for the Arts. This special event will take place from 10am to 3pm at Bishop City Park, and will feature food booths, local art, live music, native dance, activities for the kids, and more!
On Sunday, you’re welcome to attend a list of exciting activities organized by the Bishop Paiute Tribe. At 8am, the COSA Fish Refuge will conduct their inaugural Pupfish translocation. Then, at 9am, you can join a community clean-up before heading over to the Spring Market at the Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center. There, you’ll find tables and booths, craft vendors, food options, live music, and Earth Day-themed activities until 3pm.
Become a citizen scientist with iNaturalist
INaturalist is an international social media app that allows users to upload photos, vidoes, and audio of flora and fauna in their area. Not only is uploading content a fun way to document your own experiences in nature, but it can actually provide valuable data for scientists in the Eastern Sierra! When nature lovers share what they’ve seen here in the mountains, with details such as date and time of the viewing and location, scientists can then use that information to help guide their own research projects.
To be sure, we often recommend that you experience nature with your own two eyes instead of through a screen. But, if you’re going to be snapping pics this Earth Day, don’t forget to upload your shots to iNaturalist!
Attend the Owens Lake Bird Festival
Looking to partner up with the scientific community this Earth Day? Then, you won’t want to miss out on the annual Owens Lake Bird Festival organized by the Friends of the Inyo!
During the three day festival, you can join other birders and local ecologists to learn all about the wildlife of the Owens Valley. There are guided tours, bird photography lessons, birding excursions, historical workshops, botany hikes, and more.
Activities are selling out fast, so you’ll definitely want to claim your spot if you plan on being here this Earth Day weekend!
Make a donation to one of our amazing conservation organizations
The Eastern Sierra is home to some wonderful conservation organizations led by people who are committed to protecting this special part of the world. We’ve already mentioned one such organization (Mammoth Lakes Recreation) that would appreciate a donation for Earth Day, but here are a few others who could also use the support!
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Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation (MLTPA)
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Eastern Sierra Land Trust
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Eastern Sierra Audubon
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Mono Lake Committee
Learn more about making your next trip to Mammoth more sustainable
There are so many ways that you can help keep the Eastern Sierra wild, not just on Earth Day but every day! We have an entire article dedicated to simple changes you can make when visiting Mammoth Lakes that will make your trip more sustainable!
Plan for future events
Earth Day is an important day of the year to get involved with conservation efforts and fully appreciate our beautiful surroundings. But caring for the earth doesn’t just take place on Earth Day! Because we have so many wonderful nature activists living in the Eastern Sierra, there are sustainability projects happening throughout the year. Keep these activities on your radar for your future trips to Mammoth Lakes so you can stay involved!
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Leave No Trace trivia & pop-up education night at Mammoth Brewing Company May 31. Leave No Trace is a national organization that’s spent the last 25 years educating nature-lovers about how to minimize their impact on outdoor spaces. This year, Mammoth Lakes has been chosen as a LNT Spotlight! In addition to being involved in Mammoth Trail Days, LNT will be hosting a fun-filled evening of trivia, prizes, community-building and education at Mammoth Brewing Company!
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Summer of Stewardship Trail Days. This year, there will be three official trail maintenance and clean-up days organized by the Town of Mammoth Lakes, Inyo National Forest and the Leave No Trace Team. Volunteers will be treated to a complimentary bagel breakfast and given work assignments around town. Upcoming dates include June 1, July 27, and September 21.
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Gardenfest 2024. Every year, the Eastern Sierra Land Trust hosts a family-friendly event to celebrate the start of the growing season! You can learn all about native plant species and gardening tips, and connect with the Eastern Sierra Audubon Society to learn about our area’s pollinators. This year, GardenFest will take place on May 4 from 11am to 2pm at ESLT headquarters in Bishop.
How will you celebrate Earth Day?
Whenever we take in the natural paradise that is the Eastern Sierra, we feel so inspired to work towards keeping it beautiful and thriving for generations to come. Whether you spend this Earth Day planting a native garden, joining a clean-up crew, or donating to one of our amazing local conservation organizations, your effort can have a bigger impact than you think!
So, how will you celebrate the natural world this Earth Day?