All around the state, cities, towns and local organizations have been celebrating Earth Day 2026 with outdoor cleanups, exploration and education. 

In Auburn, Life Forest Whistle Ridge held its second annual vernal discovery and exploration Saturday. Dr. Jeff Parmelee, evolutionary biologist and ecologist at the University of Maine, led a guided discovery session around Life Forest Whistle Ridge.

After learning about the importance of habitats and why amphibians depend on them, participants conducted a survey to determine the presence of wood frogs.

“Earth day isn’t just once a year for Whistle Ridge, it’s every day in all we do at Life Forest,” said Michelle Melaragno and Chelsea Eaton of Life Forest. “Our goal is to connect people to the land in life and in death and to do everything in our power to steward what the earth has provided to us for the benefit of all.”

In Freeport, the Girl Scouts of America led an event at the town hall combining sustainability education with live music and family activities, and residents gathered at Riverbank Park in Westbrook for the returning Earth Day Fair.

Some volunteers took more direct approaches with beachgoers in Old Orchard Beach collecting trash along the shore, while the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust launched a weeklong cleanup encouraging residents to participate on their own time. 

With Earth Day’s April 22 celebration falling on Wednesday this year, many towns and organizations continue to celebrate the planet throughout the week and into the weekend. 

For instance, in western Maine, from Norway to Farmington to Lewiston several Earth Day events promise to keep the planet’s lovers busy and entertained. Gather to Grow will be getting community gardens ready across Lewiston and Auburn with a lunch at its 208 Bates St. location at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

To find the group throughout the day, start at the Newbury Street garden at 88 Newbury St. in Auburn from 8-10:30 a.m.

In Farmington, the town will hold its 13th annual cleanup Wednesday starting at the 204 Main St. Pierce house. At the University of Maine at Farmington, National Resources Council of Maine’s Sustainable Maine program manager will be a part of a panel of UMF alumni talking leadership, careers and sustainability. 

Libraries and community groups in towns like Norway and Dixfield will be holding events with take-home crafts and educational activities alongside scheduled cleanups.  

Across central Maine, Earth Day activities kick off Wednesday with everything from crafts to demonstrations to happy hours. For a completely volunteer-led experience, Kayla Varney is leading a trash pickup event Wednesday in Waterville’s Concourse, inspired by the childhood she spent collecting trash with her grandparents.

Winslow locals can attend a planting party followed by a cleanup activity and happy hour, and in Augusta, Viles Arboretum will host crafts and activities for adults and children alike.

Hallowell will keep Earth Day events going all the way through the weekend, with beautification projects at Granite City Park and the Hallowell Recreation Area on Saturday. 

In southern Maine, St. Ann’s Episcopal Church in Windham will be holding an Earth Day celebration 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Activities include the distribution of red maples seedlings, planting string beans, the planting of trees at the main entrance to the church, and an information table with educational handouts. Work will be done on the MacConnell Garden, named after a late parishioner who gave money to help complete the garden, and a chili buffet will take place at 12:30 p.m.

Casco and Naples will hold a cleanup at American Legion Post 155 9 a.m. Saturday. The event will include refreshments for volunteers, a bounce house for kids and a voucher for lunch at the PB&ME food truck. Businesses in the area will also be offering coupons.

The Harraseeket Grange No. 9 in Freeport is honoring the past and nurturing the future with a celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop at 13 Elm St. to learn how farming and gardening can embrace new technologies, along with how to reinvest use for throw-aways to make arts and crafts as part of “Reduce, Re-Use, and Recycle.”

Dress up as your favorite creature and come join the ecosystem at the “all-species parade,” part of the Earth Day Festival at Harriet Beecher Stowe School in Brunswick. The inaugural event is hosted by the Brunswick-based organization Sustainable Practice.

The day will include fun activities and interesting talks and demonstrations on sustainability. Attendees can help spread mulch at the school’s garden in timed wheelbarrow races, join a coastal cleanup with Mere Point Oyster, march in the all-species parade around the elementary school campus and more.

More information on the festival’s offerings, including nature hikes, a fun bike ride, local eats and more is available at EarthDayinBrunswick.com.

In Falmouth, Maine Audubon is hosting Wolastoqey (Maliseet) educator, author, poet and artist Mihku Paul to celebrate the earth. At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the celebration will include a trail walk, storytelling, art and hands-on exploration. This event will take place rain or shine and is best suited for children ages 3–9 and their families.

Merrill Memorial Library in Yarmouth is celebrating Earth Day with real science contributing to Snapshot Wisconsin, an ongoing community science project where thousands of people across the nation help identify animals captured on trail cameras. During the program on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., library visitors can examine camera photos, meet the project scientist and ask questions, and help conservation with this wildlife tracking project. 

The Wells Reserve at Laudholm will celebrate Earth Day on Wednesday with a giant inflatable whale. According to the nature reserve’s website, visitors will “learn how the survival of whales is connected to Earth’s ecosystems, and what we can all do to protect them.”

The celebration also includes a bird walk with York County Audubon to welcome birds from their recent migration, a beach cleanup, and other engaging earth activities throughout the day. The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.