Stories

Earth Day Volunteer Opportunities and Environmental Nonprofits

Our planet is an amazing place and we need to help it thrive. Each year on April 22nd, more than a billion people celebrate Earth Day to take action to help protect our planet from pollution, plant trees or clean up rivers.

Here locally there are many nonprofits who are working tirelessly to help protect our community and create a sustainable future for Charlotte.

Here is a list of Earth Day events you can participate in:

• Wing Haven - is a Garden and Bird Sanctuary located in the heart of Myers Park. They need volunteers to help with simple gardening tasks and prep for their educational programs - click here to learn more. 
• ​​​​​Changed Choices  - helps women who have experienced incarceration lead restored lives marked by healthy decisions, contribution to their communities and self-sufficiency. They need help “spring cleaning” the yard of their Re-Entry Home - click here for more details.
• MeckMIN - Mecklenburg Metropolitan Interfaith Network promotes interfaith collaboration to foster understanding, compassion and justice. They need help with their Interfaith Stream Clean Up - click here to learn more. 

Here is a list of Environmental nonprofits you can learn more about or volunteer with:

• Sustain Charlotte - dedicated to educating, engaging and uniting citizens to solve Charlotte’s sustainability challenges

• Carolina Raptor Center - ignites imaginations and inspires engagement in the natural world through the exploration and rehabilitation of birds of prey.

• North Carolina Wildlife Federation - whose mission is to protect, conserve and restore North Carolina wildlife and habitat.

• Trees Charlotte - is working to grow, diversify and steward the city’s iconic tree canopy.

• Out Teach - works one-on-one with teachers to ensure that EVERY student has access to engaging, hands-on, outdoor science activities,

• Anne Springs Close Greenway - is a  nature preserve that allows individuals in the Greater Charlotte region to engage in conservation through educational, recreational events and programs.

• Upcycle Arts - aims to collaborate with Charlotte manufacturers, businesses, and individuals to divert their materials from the landfill. Instead, those materials will be made available to the community for use in new ways such as mixed media arts.

• Catawba RiverKeeper Foundation -  educates and advocates to protect the lakes, rivers and streams of the Catawba-Wateree River basin.

• Carolina Thread Trail - .developing a regional network of connected greenways, natural surface trails and blueways that reaches 15 counties and 2.3 million people.

• UNC Botanical Gardens -  inspire a love for plants and nature through programming, classes, and botanical displays.