Local events planned in honor of Earth Day – goskagit.com

After downsizing and going digital in 2020, Earth Day events remain small and digital this year due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

But events ranging from beach cleanups to book discussions are planned locally for the internationally-recognized day Thursday, as well as into the weekend of what has become known as Earth Day Week.

In order to ensure groups remain small, registration is required for in-person events hosted by Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and the Port of Anacortes.

Heres the event lineup:

PORT OF ANACORTES BEACH CLEANUPS

The Port of Anacortes is organizing cleanups Thursday at three local beaches. They will be held 1 to 3 p.m. at Railroad Avenue, N Avenue and Ship Harbor beaches.

We are expanding our efforts to three locations to ensure social distancing and maximum benefit to the beaches, the event announcement states. We will follow current pandemic guidelines.

Masks are required. The port will provide gloves, trash bags and trash pickers for volunteers, as well as a thank you gift at the conclusion of the event.

LA CONNER BOOK DISCUSSION

Seaport Books in La Conner will host an outdoor meet-the-authors event featuring Jack Hartt and Maribeth Crandell.

The duo will share the stories behind their works, including Hartts Exploring Deception Pass and Two Hands and a Shovel, Crandells Flip Flop on the Appalachian Trail, and their collaborative book Hiking Close to Home that features Fidalgo, Whidbey and Guemes island trails.

The bookstore offers meet the author events each month. This months event will begin at 4:30 p.m. Thursday outside the bookstore at Gilkey Square along the La Conner waterfront.

The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, in partnership with Samish Island Camp and the Samish Indian Nation, is inviting volunteers to help free the trees at Scotts Point from invasive English ivy.

English ivy climbs the native trees and eventually causes them to die, removing important coastal erosion buffers, the event notice states. By removing the ivy well give these trees a new lease on life!

Registration is required in order to manage group size. Two shifts are being offered, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Each shift will be limited to 25 people, who will work in groups of five.

Masks are required and it is recommended volunteers bring gardening gloves. Additional gloves and tools will be provided on site.

The Skagit Land Trust owns and manages hundreds of acres of conservation lands throughout Skagit County, and this Earth Day is launching an effort to encourage more visits to those properties.

At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, the land trust will host an online event over Zoom to introduce community members to iNaturalist, a free-to-use website and mobile app.

This year instead of gathering together on the land, we are inviting you to visit our properties and make some discoveries! the event announcement states.

Your observations will help create an ecological survey for each Skagit Land Trust property, the event notice states. These surveys will help guide stewardship and management efforts throughout Skagit County.

The land trust recommends visiting the Barr Creek, Cumberland Creek, Day Creek, Guemes Mountain, Hurn Field, Tope Ryan or Utopia conservation areas.

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Local events planned in honor of Earth Day - goskagit.com