April 22 marks the 55th Earth Day, making it the perfect time to reduce your environmental impact and show the planet how much you love it. Of course, this should be an everyday thing, but sometimes we just need a reminder. There are tons of different hands-on conservation activities taking place across Toronto in the coming weeks, everything from community cleanups to eco initiatives — here are a few to check out.
City of Toronto annual spring cleanup
When: Friday, April 25 – Sunday, April 27, 2025
Everyone across the city — community groups, families, individuals and even businesses — is encouraged to spend 20 minutes cleaning up litter in a local park, beach, ravine or other natural space as part of Canada’s largest municipal cleanup! Last year, 71,000 participants joined more than 871 registered cleanup events. Register your cleanup on the city’s Clean Toronto webpage by April 23 to help the city arrange litter pickups and track results.
Other Earth Month clean-up events to look out for this month:
- City of Vaughan’s 20-Minute Makeover (April 22 – 27, 2025).
- Don’t Mess with the Don: Earth Day Clean-Up (April 19, 2025, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm) at Ernest Thompson Seton Park, 73 Thorncliffe Park Drive, East York.
- Exhibition Place: Earth Day Cleanup Event (April 22, 2025, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm), meet by Gazebo at Centennial Park.
- Riverside BIA: Clean Queen E. Together (April 25-26, 2025, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm), meet up at Ralph Thornton Community Centre (765 Queen St E).
Arcadia Earth Toronto: Earth Fest
When: April 18-21, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
This four-day event is filled with immersive, family-friendly events, free arts & crafts workshops, face painting and even cotton candy! Experience a live animal meet & greet while learning from the Earth Rangers team about native animal species. Meet Arcadia Earth’s sustainable marketplace vendors, sample their products, and learn more about making greener choices. Ticket purchases will support real-world impacts, with $1 from every Earth Fest ticket being donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to help protect and restore natural ecosystems across the country. Tickets range from $24 to $39 and can be purchased here (Arcadia Earth Toronto at The Well, 486 Front St W, Building C).
Evergreen Brick Works: Earth Month celebrations
Date: April 5-27, 2025
Evergreen Brick Works has activities planned throughout the month, including environment-centred workshops, free Ontario Science Centre experiences, art installations, exhibits, outdoor learning labs and more (550 Bayview Ave).
Earth Day at Downsview Park
When: April 27, 2025, 11:00 am – 4 pm
This is a great opportunity to learn about ways to reduce your environmental footprint, connect with like-minded individuals and organizations and celebrate our planet! It’s a great family bonding event. Activities for the day include tree planting with Nikibii Dawadinna Giigwag, guided nature walks by Toronto Field Naturalists, invasive species management workshops, Trishaw rides, bicycle repairs, seed ball making, an Earth Day Scavenger Hunt, a litter pick up event and more! Sign up on Eventbrite to let them know you’re coming (70 Canuck Ave, North York).
Earth Day Intergenerational Climate Café
When: April 22, 2025, 10:30 am – 12 noon
This unique event will bring together York University retirees and students to celebrate Earth Day through meaningful connections and conversations! This café-style gathering offers a welcoming space to share stories, explore different perspectives on climate action and foster community connections over coffee and light refreshments. Register for this free event in advance on Eventbrite (Room 140, Health, Nursing & Environmental Studies Building, York University campus, 4700 Keele St).
Earth Day 2025 – Our Power, Our Planet event
When: April 22, 2025, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Learn about people power, maker culture and urban ecology! Take part in green roof urban foraging and bring your own mason jar to enjoy some foraged treats, like soup and salad. This free event is open to all ages (3079 Danforth Ave).
West Rouge Sports & Recreation Association: Earth Day Event
When: April 26, 2025, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Earth Day events include a community clean up, kids’ bird feeder building, and special presentations in the library hosted by West Rouge Photography and The Meadoway. Activities take place at the Port Union Community Centre (5450 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough).
Toronto Public Library: Earth Day Events
When: Throughout April
Your kids can check out the various Earth Day celebrations at Toronto Public Library locations across the city — they’ll enjoy newspaper basket-making activities, Earth Day book readings, and even create crafts and collages from recycled materials! Some programs require pre-registration, so check out their website before heading over.
Celebrate Earth Month with TRCA
When: Throughout April
Join the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) for a series of family-friendly, hands-on events designed to inspire environmental stewardship! Try everything from tracking turtle populations and planting trees to cleaning up natural spaces and contributing to global biodiversity research. Activities take place across Toronto and surrounding areas, including Brampton, Ajax and Kleinburg Station.
City of Toronto: Earth Day community events and sustainability initiatives
When: Throughout April and beyond
- Community Environment Days: The city will take part in 47 Community Environment Days, running from Saturday, April 5 to Sunday, September 28, offering residents convenient ways to recycle and safely dispose of unwanted items. The program includes seven ‘drop-off depot Sundays’, where residents can bring household items for donation or proper disposal and pick up free compost.
- Forestry volunteer opportunities: Help grow and improve Toronto’s urban forest through tree planting and stewardship programs! City Forestry staff also offer nature talks and tours to the public on Toronto’s urban forest, local ecology and habitats, and species identification.
- Request a free tree: You can literally request a free tree to be planted on a city-owned road allowance in front of your home or business! This is all part of an effort to grow Toronto’s urban forest, improve air quality and contribute to the City’s goal of increasing its tree canopy to 40 per cent by 2050.
- Native wildflower giveaway: PollinateTO is hosting a giveaway of 45 plant kits containing 10 native wildflower plants, an optional native tree or shrub and a PollinateTO garden sign! Enter the contest by April 30 for a chance to win.
