Tacoma’s 15th Annual Parks Appreciation Day Celebration

On Saturday, April 23rd, Tacoma will be hosting its 15th annual Parks Appreciation Day to strengthen our communities’ ties with the environment. Events will begin at 9 am and end approximately at noon. Participating includes beach cleanups, planting trees, and much more.

Columbia Bank is sponsoring Parks Appreciation Day, which is a celebration of Earth Day, Arbor Day, and National Parks Week.

The worldwide celebration of Earth Day, on April 22nd, promotes efforts towards environmental protection. Earth Day is the most popular celebration to promote the reduction of mankind’s carbon footprint. It was first celebrated in 1970, and is now coordinated internationally through the Earth Day Network.

Parks Appreciation Day is also in celebration of Arbor Day. Originally on April 10th, Arbor Day is in celebration of our Earth’s trees and is dedicated to planting them.

National Parks Week is also celebrated through Parks Appreciation Day. National Parks Week, originally between April 16th-24th, is America’s largest celebration of the national parks. According to the National Park Service website, it celebrates “natural heritage. It’s about making great connections, exploring amazing places, discovering open spaces, enjoying affordable vacations, and enhancing America’s best idea—the National Parks!”

Sites that are participating in Parks Appreciation Day include Alderwood Park, Point Defiance Park, and Tacoma Nature Center. Tacoma will not be the only city in Pierce County celebrating, but the festivities will be held in all of Pierce County. Cities include Fife, Bonney Lake, and Puyallup.

The City of Tacoma website states that the events will feature many parks and recreation programs designed to “help us live longer, better lives through active pursuits, new life skills, educational programs, and safe activities.” The idea behind these activities centers around building a stronger community and connecting individuals “through the power of play.”

According to the Metro Parks Tacoma website, there are many benefits to participating. Taking part will help benefit our community and beautify Tacoma’s neighborhood parks.

In the past, it is estimated that approximately 2,500 people participate in the events county-wide. Based on the past year, the environmental benefits of participating in Parks Appreciation Day made a visible difference in our community. Over 200 cubic yards of debris have been removed, approximately 150 bags of litter have been collected to reduce our carbon footprint, and over 2,000 trees have been planted in celebration of Arbor Day.

The Metro Parks Tacoma website advises participants to wear warm clothing and bring small tools such as gloves, shovels, and even wheelbarrows.

Many events for Parks Appreciation Day require prior registration. To find the event that fits you this Earth Day, visit tacoma.cedar.greencitypartnership.org. There, you can find beach cleanup events as well as park cleanup days from Point Defiance Park, Swan Creek Park, and Wapato Park.