The Brief

Earth Day is Wednesday, a reminder to everyone to be good stewards of the world.

Several events are scheduled across the Bay Area, including cleaning a creek near the Oakland Zoo.

Activists stress that while one-day neighborhood cleanups are helpful, long-term impact requires consistent efforts.

OAKLAND, Calif. – Earth Day is Wednesday, a reminder to everyone to be good stewards of the world. The goal of the day is to get people involved in addressing issues like climate change and pollution.

Cleaning local waterways

Local perspective

In Oakland, 120 volunteers gathered at the Oakland Zoo to clean Arroyo Viejo Creek.

The creek is a significant local waterway that flows from the Oakland Hills, through the zoo grounds, and eventually out to the San Francisco Bay near the Coliseum.

“Most people don’t realize they live inside a watershed. We have some many waterways running through Oakland, through culverts, through storm drains, that people don’t recognize as being connected to the bay,” said Adrienne Mrsny, conservation manager at the Oakland Zoo. “The trash that they might see in the streets, the litter they might see in their gutter, could end up in our bay, and eventually in our water system as it breaks down to microplastics.”

Volunteers removed debris, invasive species and trash.

“There is an incredible amount of illegal dumping in Oakland. The city is working on this. Mattresses, refrigerators, golf clubs, you name it that are in the creek,” said Oakland Zoo CEO Nik Dehejia.

Volunteers also planted native plants to help preserve the area for local animals.

“We are encouraging people to take three simple actions: removing any litter you see on the streets, especially before rains, disposing of hazardous waste correctly, not putting motor oil or anything down the storm drains, and planting native plants,” said Mrsny.

Several similar events are scheduled across the Bay Area.

At Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda, organizers have scheduled a cleanup for Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon.

And Lawrence Hall of Science has an Earth Day festival planned for Sunday.

What they’re saying

Katharine Wilkinson, a climate activist, noted the challenge of mobilizing the public.

“We have a really challenging gap between climate concern, which the majority of people hold, and climate engagement or climate action, which only a very small percentage of people are doing,” Wilkinson said.

More than just a day

Big picture view

For those unable to attend organized cleanups, environmental advocates suggest integrating sustainable habits into daily life throughout the year – not just on Earth Day.

Recycling, composting, and purchasing local goods to decrease individual carbon footprints, using public transportation or biking to work when possible are all examples of how to help out.

Activists stress that while one-day neighborhood cleanups are helpful, long-term impact requires consistent efforts. Simple, repetitive actions—such as switching to reusable shopping bags and water bottles—can lead to significant environmental benefits.