L.A. Earth Day times four

Maybe this is the year to experience Earth Day, Topanga-style. The 2011 festivities are shown above.

Sure, you could slap a “Love Your Mother” bumper sticker on your car and call it an Earth Day, but why stop there, when there are so many hands-on ways to mark the occasion?

Whether you fancy yourself an artist, activist, environmentalist or any combination thereof, there’s probably something to suit you in Los Angeles County this Earth Day, Sunday, April 22.

Here are four very different ways to nourish the planet—and the soul:

Heal the Bay

Stewardship will be rewarded during Heal the Bay’s Earth Day festivities. Those who participate in a “Nothin’ but Sand Beach Cleanup” (Option 1 | Option 2 | Option 3) will get free admission to a weekend of festivities at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium (Day 1 | Day 2). If none of those fit your schedule, you could always make your way out later in the month for the Great L.A. River Cleanup.

LACMA

Earth Day at LACMA: Because Earth without Art is Just “Eh” compiles a heap of Earth-friendly activities with an artistic angle. Visitors can tour gardens and landscape installations, create art from recycled materials, watch films on the benefits of bike culture, and more.

L.A. Works

Service-oriented earthlings might consider joining the folks at L.A. Works for a week of environmentally friendly volunteer opportunities. Build gardens for local schools, or, at the end of the week, participate in Community Day, which commemorates the 20^th anniversary of the 1992 Los Angeles riots by building a community garden on a vacant lot where a corner store was burned. The garden will be used to teach local youth about healthy food and will also serve as a park.

Topanga Canyon

If you really can’t decide what you want to do this Earth Day, why not do everything? Topanga Earth Day has it all, over the course of 48 hours. There will be live musical performances, guest speakers, yoga, organic food, native planting, workshops, children’s activities and much, much more. Plus, you’ll get to spend some time in one of the most beautiful natural communities around—on this planet or any other.

L.A. Works volunteers remove graffiti and old fencing to build a community garden for Earth Day 2011.

Posted 4/19/12