Earth Month

Juanita Bay Park boardwalk looking south at sunset with waterlillies covering the bay  

Celebrate sustainability with us this spring! Come to a free online class to learn about recycling and natural gardening. Play our Green Home Challenge to make simple changes that will make your household more sustainable. Attend an inspirational concert livestream on Earth Day to build hope in the face of climate change's impacts on the natural world. Volunteer at a small in-person restoration event or plant a tree with our new rebate program.

Celebrate Earth Day at an Online Concert

Join us this Thursday, April 22, to celebrate Earth Day at this inspirational livestream of a performance inspired by climate change. The Alaska Suite features a five-piece chamber jazz ensemble performing the original music of Seattle pianist and composer Nelda Swiggett. Visuals and spoken word performances accompany the music, building together for a message of hope for the planet. You'll connect deeply and emotionally to the scientific realities of climate change, and leave inspired to take action.

Enjoy this livestream event at loudswell.com and on the City Facebook page starting at 7:30pm. No registration required. This event is sponsored by Kirkland City Council. Learn more about the concert.

Badge for the Green Home Challenge Level up your household's sustainability with the Green Home Challenge

Join our online challenge to help make your household better for our planet, our community, and you!

  • Complete one-week challenges to earn badges and level up your home's sustainability.
  • Add on optional mini side quests to tackle quick wins around the house and explore Kirkland's natural spaces.
  • Play on your own or with the whole family.
  • Rent or own, you can choose your own adventure of challenges that are right for you.

Whether you're just getting started on going green or you're an avid recycler, you can join the Green Home Challenge! Sign up now!

Join the Green Home Challenge!

volunteer wearing face mask at a Green Kirkland Partnership restoration event during the coronavirus pandemic

Help restore habitat

Volunteer with Green Kirkland at outdoor stewardship events

Events all month (in person with participant limits) - see event dates and register online

Join the Green Kirkland Partnership for hands-on volunteer stewardship events at a park near you in Earth Month! Your help is needed to rip out invasive weeds and care for new native planting sites. Events sizes are small but held all month long. Pre-registration, wearing face coverings, and other safety steps are required to participate.

Volunteer with Green Kirkland Partnership

Plant a tree with our new rebate program

Plant a tree or three in your yard! We're providing rebates of up to $150 per tree (max $500 per property) through our new tree planting rebate program. Check out the requirements and see if you qualify. The birds and wildlife in your garden will appreciate it!

Learn about our tree planting rebate program

Learn at online classes and events

Recycling Waste Reduction Events

recyclables including glass bottle, plastic bottle, plastic tub, metal cans, and paper

Recycling 101 Webinar

April 14, 5:30-6:30pm (online) - register online

What's the latest on recycling? Learn what you can recycle and how recycling works at this webinar with your City of Kirkland Recycling Team.

Virtual Tour of the Cascade Recycling Center

April 28, 5:30-6:30pm (online) - register online

Take a special behind-the-scenes tour to see where your recycling goes once it leaves the curb. Virtually tour Waste Management’s recycling facility in Woodinville. Recommended for ages 10 and up. Hosted by Waste Management.

Sustainable Kitchen

April 29, 7-8 pm (online) - register online

Learn how to buy, store, and cook foods to prevent waste. Class includes recipes. Hosted by the City of Redmond's recycling team.

Hazardous Wastemobile

May 7-9, 10:00am - 5:00pm (Kirkland Fred Meyer parking lot)

Dispose of common household hazardous materials at no cost at this drive-through event in Kirkland. See event for accepted items and instructions. Hosted by the King County Hazardous Waste Program.

Recycling Collection Event

May 15, 9:00am - 3:00pm (Lake Washington Institute of Technology)

Recycle tricky items such as block StyrofoamTM, mattresses, oversize scrap metal, bulky wood, and more. Some items are free to recycle, while others have a pass-through charge to cover disposal costs. Free shredding will be available. See all accepted items, fees, and limits.

Sustainable Cleaning

May 20, 7-8 pm (online) - register online

Learn how to choose safer cleaning products or how to make your own with simple ingredients. Hosted by the City of Redmond's recycling team.

Sustainable Self Care

May 27 at 7-8 pm (online) - register online

Learn to make safer choices about body care products, including recipes to make your own. Hosted by the City of Redmond's recycling team.

Gardening Classes

Designing the Northwest Garden!

April 17, 10 am (online) - register online

Learn how to create a landscape that is lower maintenance, eco-friendly and looks great. With an emphasis on native plants, you will leave this class with strategies to help your yard become a healthy space for people, pets and wildlife. Part of the Cascade Gardener series. Hosted by Cascade Water Alliance.

Healthy Soils

April 24, 10 am (online) - register online

The program will teach the value of healthy soils by understanding soil basics and soil biology.  The connection between healthy soils and how we can reduce the damage done by storm water runoff will be discussed.  The program will go over the importance of soil building, including different types of mulch and composting. Part of the Cascade Gardener series. Hosted by Cascade Water Alliance.

Natural Pest and Disease Control for Edibles

Apr 27, 2021 6:30pm-8:00pm (online) - $28 - register online

This class will take you through the process of choosing the best site, building healthy soil and maintaining its fertility, and selecting seeds and starts that are well-suited for our climate. Hosted by the UW Botanic Gardens.

Beautifying Your Streamside or Lakefront Property

Apr 28, 2021 6:00pm-7:00pm (online) - $28 - register online

Curious about what it takes to return your stream, lake or wetland property to its more natural state? Want to learn ways you can support wildlife, enhance your property’s aesthetic, and reduce maintenance needs? Don't miss this FREE 1-hour webinar for homeowners living along the water. Learn from restoration experts about managing your yard to support both the environment and your own needs. Hosted by King Conservation District.

Weeds and Water

Apr 28, 2021 7pm-9pm (online) - $5 - register online

When does a plant become a weed? What’s the best way to water your garden? Learn to identify, prevent, and control common garden weeds. Discover the best way to water your garden during our dry summers. Designing an irrigation system can be daunting, but this class will help you understand the drawbacks of overhead watering and how, instead, to use flow restrictors, manifolds, timers, soakers, connectors, and various types of emitters. Hosted by King County Master Gardeners as part of the Growing Groceries series.

Integrated Pest Management

May 12, 2021 7pm-9pm (online) - $5 - register online

How can you identify bad bugs versus beneficial ones? Nature is full of “good bugs” — flying and crawling creatures whose diet includes pests that ravage our precious food plants. Learn to identify these beneficial insects and attract them to your garden with plants like spearmint, feverfew, fennel, and parsley. This class covers good pollinator and predatory insects, crop-damaging bad bugs, crop diseases, and crop rotation. Hosted by King County Master Gardeners as part of the Growing Groceries series.

Building a Green Future: Talks & Concert

Marine Debris and You

April 22, 4-5pm (online) - register online

See some amazing video footage from under the waters of Puget Sound and see the animals most easily affected by marine debris. Learn about our watersheds and what you can do to protect these important areas. All ages welcome with adult. Hosted by King County Library System.

Alaska Suite Earth Day Concert Livestream

April 22, 7:30-8:45pm (online) - watch online

The Alaska Suite features a five-piece chamber jazz ensemble performing the original music of Seattle pianist and composer Nelda Swiggett. The performance engages the power of artistic expression — live music, spoken words, images and poetry — to connect audiences deeply and emotionally to the scientific realities of climate change. Ultimately a story of hope, the performance leaves audiences inspired to take action. Sponsored by the City of Kirkland.

Students: Green Jobs & Inspiration

Jobs for Clean Water

April 24, 10am-12:30pm (online) - register online

Interested in jobs that protect human health and the environment? Join King County staff members for a virtual event to explore careers in clean water. Professionals will be leading short sessions to share details of their job, their career story, and advice for getting hired. Talk with professionals and learn about the many career options available in supporting clean water and the environment. This event open to all high school-aged youth. Hosted by King County Wastewater Treatment Division.

Environmental Justice Webinar for Students and Families

April 29, 4pm (online) - register online

To be inspired and gain ideas for environmental justice projects, join us for our final Green Schools webinar of 2020-21 featuring a panel discussion with three local leaders who will share the work they do involving sustainability and social justice. All students, teachers, families, and school and district employees are welcome. Hosted by King County Green Schools.

Be a Naturalist! Events for All Ages

Be an Urban Naturalist with Kelly Brenner

April 20, 6:30-7:30pm (online) - register online

Join Nature Obscura author Kelly Brenner as she shares the secrets of when, where and how to seek out and examine the abundant and fascinating wildlife to be found in an urban setting. Hosted by King County Library System.

Survive the Sound Game

May 3-7, online

Survive the Sound uses real tracking data from juvenile steelhead to visualize their migration upstream from Puget Sound. Before the migration, pick your favorite fish, join a team, and compete to see whose team has the most surviving fish over the 5-day migration!

About Earth Month

Cover of Sustainability Master Plan adopted Dec 2020 Every year, Kirkland recognizes April as Earth Month to honor the value of our environment and natural spaces. 2021 marks the first Earth Month since we adopted our first Sustainability Master Plan. It lays out actionable steps to help our community build a future that's sustainable for the environment, the economy, and equity.

  • Learn what the City is doing to build infrastructure and implement policies and programs that make it easier for residents to live sustainably and meet our environmental goals.
  • Find ways you can help our community meet its environmental goals - we can't do it without the participation of our residents and businesses!
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