Volunteers Make a Difference for Earth Day 2018

In Cannon Beach

Portland, OR. Thousands of local volunteers rolled up their sleeves to clean up trash and restore natural habitat in places like Cannon Beach on Saturday April 21st. Still more are expected to join in when the 48th annual Earth Day is officially commemorated, on Sunday April 22nd. The local nonprofit environmental organization, SOLVE has lead clean up efforts for the past 27 years and organizers say over that time more than 112,000 local volunteers have removed over 15 million pounds of litter and invasive plants from illegal dumpsites, neighborhoods, and natural areas as part of this global event.

You can still get involved with one of many Earth Day opportunities like “Pick up the Pearl” on Sunday, April 22nd from 12pm-5pm. Another option is trail beautification in Scappoose, or planting native species in Oregon City. Below is a list of some SOLVE volunteer options for Earth Day:


Earth Day 2018 with Timberland: Pick up the Pearl!	Timberland	Portland	4/22/1812:00 AM5 hours
Oregon’s Finest’s First Annual Earth Day Street Cleanup	Oregon’s Finest	Portland	4/22/1812:00 PM2 hours
Sylvan Highlands Earth Day Cleanup	Terra Nova High School	Portland	4/22/189:00 AM4 hours
Impact our Environment at Woodmont Park!	Lake Oswego Parks Stewardship	Lake Oswego	4/22/181:00 PM2 hours
Earth Day at Gateway Green	Friends of Gateway Green	Portland	4/22/189:00 AM3 hours
Gladstone Garden Association Invasive Plant Removal	Gladstone Garden Association	Gladstone	4/22/1810:00 AM3 hours
Native Planting at the Environmental Learning Center	John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center	Oregon City	4/22/188:00 AM4 hours
Afternoon Planting at the Environmental Learning Center	John Inskeep Environmental Learning Center	Oregon City	4/22/1812:30 PM4 hours
Crown Zellerbach Trail Earth Day Clean-Up Event	City of Scappoose	Scappoose	4/22/189:00 AM3 hours
Defend Honeyman! Invade the Invasives.	OPRD-Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park	Florence	4/22/1810:00 AM2 hours
Powder River Cleanup and Earth Day Celebration	Powder Basin Watershed Council	Baker City	4/22/1810:00 AM3 hours
Earth Day on Hawthorne Blvd	Walton Beach Cleanups	Portland	4/22/189:00 AM3 hours

If you need inspiration, here’s a look at some of the good work done by volunteers on Saturay, April 21st.

Work is done at Willow Creek by Five Oaks-Triple Creek Neighbors and helpers from Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District.

Trimming branches at Willow Creek

Cleaning up in Forest Park

The big crew at Cannon Beach

The Beaverton Earth Day Mulching Event with Genentech and Beaverton City Government

South Waterfront volunteers receive instructions

Friends of Riverplace are busy

Friends of Riverplace haul trash away.

SOLVE expects to gather 47,000 pounds of trash thanks to the Earth Day 2018 efforts of over 5,000 local people.

From SOLVE:

Our Mission Is Simple.

SOLVE is a statewide, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to bring Oregonians together to improve our environment and build a legacy of stewardship. We are dedicated to developing relationships among different groups, individuals, and businesses in pursuit of a common goal: to protect and preserve the places that make up our uniquely beautiful home. SOLVE mobilizes one of Oregon’s largest volunteer networks to clean up our beaches, parks, neighborhoods, and other natural spaces through litter cleanups, invasive plant removal, planting native trees and shrubs, and other environmental projects. We annually support nearly 30,000 volunteers in 900 projects throughout the state.

Originally called S.O.L.V. (Stop Oregon Litter and Vandalism), SOLVE was founded by Governor Tom McCall and other community leaders in 1969 to address the need for community action in our ever-growing state.

Elisa Klein

I’ve been a professional journalist and writer since 1987, (and long-time reporter for KOIN-TV.) As a nationally published reporter, with a Master’s Degree in Journalism, I love to report positive news and information. Journalism has also connected me with another non-profit where I served as a leader; the Northwest’s biggest writer’s organization: The Willamette Writers.