The Beverly Hills Farmers’ Market will host a special Earth Day celebration with informational booths and fun activities. (photo courtesy of the city of Beverly Hills)

As sunny weather finally emerges after a winter of relentless storms – which experts say are likely to become more frequent as a result of climate change – cities, organizations and businesses across the Los Angeles area are finding creative ways to celebrate Earth Day and inspire residents to become better stewards of the planet.

“We always look forward to Earth Day in Beverly Hills, a celebration which brings our community together,” Mayor Julian Gold said. “It is important that we continue to educate each other and share success stories about how we conserve resources and are paving the way toward a healthier planet.”

Although Earth Day is technically observed on April 22, Earth Month activities are held throughout April, and the city of Beverly Hills is celebrating with special events at the city’s weekly farmers’ market on April 23.

In addition to shopping and activities such as face painting, attendees can pick up compost supplies, learn about water conservation from Heal the Bay and bring damaged clothes or other goods to a “fix-it” booth instead of throwing them away, Beverly Hills Public Works Department director Shana Epstein said.

“We are so excited to be back and celebrating in person so that people can creatively think about the best way to make their carbon footprint smaller,” Epstein said. “By providing all these different vendors and resources, the community can come and figure out what makes sense for them to celebrate the environment.”

The city of West Hollywood kicked off its Earth Day celebration with its annual tree planting at the Babi Yar Memorial on April 15 at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Blvd., where participants learned botanical basics, discussed the West Hollywood’s festivities continue on April 22 with POPS + PARTS: Reconsidering Public and Private Space Relationships, a free symposium exploring topics like socio-economics, health and wellness and environmental benefits. The symposium will also explore new strategies for maintaining high-performance green space in the city’s continued development.

Earth Day celebrations abound in Los Angeles, including at the L.A. Zoo, which has a packed schedule of family-friendly events.

Imaginations will run wild with a series of community and nature inspired performances on April 22 and 23. Featured acts include Philippine folk arts and dance organization Kayaman Ng Lahi and 3rd Act Hip Hop, which weaves messages of sustainability into its raps.

Guests can also hone their artistry at the Hands Follow Eyes Mobile Art Studio, connect with conservation organizations at the Earth Expo, sample something sustainable and sweet at honey tasting booths and learn how to reduce waste at the Upcycling Inspiration Lab.

“Earth Month and Earth Day are particularly important to the L.A. Zoo because of their ability to magnify the opportunity for people to take action to save wildlife,” director of sustainability and capital programs Carol Armstrong said. “Humans have more power than any species to save our planet, and we must take advantage of times like these to stand up for wildlife and recruit others to join us.”

The L.A. Zoo is located at 533 Zoo Drive. For information, visit lazoo.org.

The Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., is also planning a full schedule of Earth Day activities. In addition to some of its most beloved exhibitions, the museum is also hosting a special suite of activities that blend the arts and science.

Chumash and Tataviam storyteller and elder Alan Salazar will read a passage from one of his books and show visitors how to draw using native pigments, program sponsor Nickeloden will host a drawing activity for children and live musicians will play music in the museum’s gardens, creating a relaxing vibe for visitors eating their lunch, program manager Rocio Santoyo.

“We hope that [visitors] walk away with a sense of wonder for the natural world and a sense of respect … and hopefully they learn something different that inspires them to get involved and makes them want to learn more,” Santoyo said. “We want to make science more accessible to different ages and different groups. Whether they’re just out enjoying a concert in nature, that’s still someone who has the roots of being a naturalist.”

Beachgoers will find plenty of ways to get involved as well.

Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment is hosting its Earth Day 2023 event on April 22 at the Hyperion Treatment Plant, 12000 Vista Del Mar, where families will find a kids zone filled with fun activities, catered food and a variety of informational booths.

For information, visit lacitysan.org.

Heal the Bay is hosting an Earth Day celebration at its Santa Monica Pier aquarium on April 22 from noon-4 p.m., where children can enjoy hourly dance parties, feed sea stars and learn how to identify birds. The organization is also releasing a special collaboration with clothing brand Stüssy, which is donating all proceeds from the collaboration to Heal the Bay. The capsule is available online and in store at 112 S. La Brea Ave. on April 22.

“Heal the Bay is enormously grateful to Stüssy for their collaboration and support of our mission to making the coastal waters and watersheds in Greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean,” CEO and president Tracy Quinn said.