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GIVE
Giving Back to the Earth
Wednesday, April 22 is Earth Day, an opportunity to consider our relationship to the planet that sustains us and to find ways to love the land where we live. There is plenty we can each do to celebrate life on earth, to practice sustainability and to contribute to localized solutions right here in Jefferson County.
Locally, a range of organizations and community events throughout April are highlighting ways to learn and engage with care for the Earth. You can find a list of some of those events below. In addition, Jefferson Community Foundation is home to two community-advised funds that address local environmental issues: Olympic Climate Fund and the Quimper Parks and Trees Foundation Fund.
The mission of the Olympic Climate Fund (OCF) is to raise and grant money to local organizations that increase our community’s resilience in the face of climate change and reduce our local climate impact. Formerly named Olympic Carbon Fund, all funds donated to OCF will be granted out to support Local Food System Resilience, Forest and Tree Resilience, Energy Conservation, and Renewable Energy.  The Climate Fund is in the process of building a fund advisory committee that can help oversee and implement the fundraising and grantmaking strategies and processes. They are specifically looking for people that can help select the projects that best meet the decision criteria, develop and implement fundraising approaches for locals and visitors, and help build long term capacity for the fund. Donate to the OCF here: Donate to a Cause | Jefferson Community Foundation


QUIMPER PARKS & TREES FOUNDATION

More Good Trees in Good Places

The Quimper Parks and Trees Foundation (QPTF) raises and grants money to local organizations that preserve, enhance and restore tree canopy in parks, schools and communities across the Quimper Peninsula. They work in collaboration with city and county parks departments, school districts and other nonprofit organizations focused on trees, urban and community forests and expanding neighborhood tree canopy. QPTF is focused on parks, public spaces and communities where people live and work and where expanding tree canopy is desirable. QPTF also seeks opportunities to collaborate with larger organizations where our missions overlap. Donate here: Donate to a Cause | Jefferson Community Foundation

 

Here are some local 2026 Earth Day events: 
  • Earth Day Revival Festival: The Quilcene Lantern hosts a festival weekend, offering an Earth Day celebration in the Tarboo Creek Watershed with opportunities for camping.
  • Port Townsend Clean Up: The Port Townsend Main Street Program encourages volunteers to help tidy downtown, plant new shrubs, and clean planters in the historic district. (new link: Earth Day Spring Clean Up | Port Townsend Main Street)
  • Land Based Learning Excursions for Adults and Families : The Land-Based Learning Excursions program by Jefferson Land Trust invites our community to connect more deeply with the natural world through guided exploration on locally protected lands.
  • Earth Day Molt Search Training: Learn how to identify and report invasive European green crab sightings in the Salish Sea! Join PTMSC in a growing citizen science project called Molt Search, managed by Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team & Washington State University Extension. 
  • State Park Free Day: Washington State Parks offers a free day on April 22, 2026, meaning no Discover Pass is required for access to local state parks.
  • Earth Day Beach Clean-up: The PT Marine Science Center’s annual Earth Day beach cleanup brings volunteers together from far and wide to clean the beaches and roadways in our area. In partnership with WA CoastSavers, volunteers will collect debris and contribute data on their findings to the Ocean Conservancy’s international database.
  • Earth Day Festival at the Palindrome: A Day of Action with Seed Planting, Concert & Environmental Justice, Saturday April 19th. 1pm Seed Planting Ceremony • 2pm Music & Speaker
  • Finnriver Earth Month: In Partnership with Local 20/20, Finnriver invites community on Earth Day and throughout the month to gather in celebration of the Earth: learn from local organizations, listen to inspiring speakers, play games, make art, and more.
    To learn more about year-round local climate efforts in Jefferson County:
     
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    As astronauts circle the moon and we receive, once again, those images of our remarkably living planet from space, we can take inspiration and take action to ensure vibrant, diverse, complex life on Earth continues to flourish!
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