Environmental nonprofit group Heal the Bay announced hands-on events and volunteer opportunities happening in Los Angeles County throughout April, which is Earth Month.

The Earth Month event series aims to celebrate, protect and improve the neighborhoods, coastal waters, rivers, creeks and beaches in Los Angeles County.

Heal the Bay expects thousands of participants throughout the month. Individuals, families, schools, businesses and community organizations are all invited to attend the events, and no special training or experience is required.

On April 20, Heal the Bay is hosting several events.

From 10 a.m. to noon, a beach cleanup north of the Santa Monica Pier will be held. Last year, 1,000 volunteers picked up 183 pounds of trash and debris that would have otherwise entered the ocean. Cleanup participants will earn free same-day admission to Heal the Bay’s aquarium, which is located under the Santa Monica Pier.

From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the aquarium, Heal the Bay has activities for all ages.  Families can experience the Santa Monica Bay and see all the local animals without getting their feet wet. Short film screenings, Earth Day-themed story time, live animal presentations, face painting and an eco-themed crafts station will round out the celebration in the Aquarium. In addition, visitors who walk to the west end of the Santa Monica Pier will find a wildlife station stocked with binoculars and bird identification guides.

From noon to 10 p.m., Heal the Bay and Golden Road Brewing will host the second annual Earth Day pop-up art gallery at the Rose Room in Venice. Golden Road makes the Heal the Bay IPA, and a percentage of each barrel sold supports Heal the Bay’s work. Artists from Los Angeles County and nearby can submit artwork for consideration.

Also from 10 a.m. to noon, the inaugural TrashBlitz L.A. will organize volunteers to remove trash and identify the top brands on packaging labels that are polluting the L.A. River and nearby areas. The results of this TrashBlitz will be used to support local and statewide policies and strategies to reduce waste.

From Friday, April 26, to Monday, April 29, the City Nature Challenge will have people find and document wildlife in cities. Over 130 cities around the world are competing in the City Nature Challenge, including Los Angeles. For the fourth year in a row, Heal the Bay is rallying everyone in Los Angeles County to get outside, snap photos of any plant, animal, fungi, slime mold or any other evidence of life – including scat, fur, tracks, shells and carcasses – and share observations using the iNaturalist app. The City Nature Challenge is organized by the Natural History Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. Free iNaturalist training will be provided at Heal the Bay’s Aquarium on April 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.

For information or to register, visit healthebay.org/earthmonth.