Earth Day Napa

Returns April 18 at Oxbow Commons

Earth Day Napa will return to Downtown Napa on Saturday, April 18 from 11 AM to 4 PM at Oxbow Commons, bringing the community together for a day of environmental celebration, live music, hands-on activities, great food, and local connection. Admission is free.

The event is organized by the Environmental Education Coalition of Napa County (EECNC). Formed in 2001, the coalition brings together educators, nonprofits, public agencies, and community groups that collaborate to provide resources, programs, and learning opportunities that promote sustainable living and cultivate an appreciation of the natural world.

Earth Day Napa serves as the coalition’s largest public event, bringing together more than 50 environmental organizations, local businesses, and community groups offering interactive exhibits, activities, games, and demonstrations. Visitors can learn about topics ranging from watershed protection and renewable energy to wildlife conservation, sustainable agriculture, pollution prevention, climate action, and local stewardship opportunities.

This year’s celebration will also feature live screen printing, where guests can create an upcycled Earth Day souvenir by bringing a T-shirt or other fabric item to be printed on site. Visitors are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles and stop by the refill station as part of the event’s zero-waste efforts, and those arriving by bike can take advantage of free bicycle valet parking hosted by the Napa Bicycle Coalition.

Live entertainment throughout the afternoon will begin with an opening blessing by the Suscol Intertribal Council, followed by performances from Divorces, Michelle Lambert, People of Earth, Napa School of Music, Ballet Folklórico Quetzalli, and Wine Country Aerials.

Participating food and refreshments vendors include Tony’s Kitchen, Phat Salads and Wraps, Napa Valley Hot Dogs, Fresh, The Chocolate Dippery, Pink Elephant Concessions, Ohm Coffee Roasters, Platanito Latin Cuisine, and Loncheria Fusion Kitchen. Napa Green will be sponsoring local wine, and beer will be provided by Napa Yard / Bartlett Brewing and The Garden / Tannery Bend Beerworks.

Proceeds from beer and wine sales support the coalition’s Field Trip Bus Grant Program, which removes transportation barriers so students can participate in hands-on environmental education experiences across Napa County. Since 2020, the program has awarded 94 bus grants, helping more than 5,400 students visit 17 environmental learning sites throughout the county.

The event also supports the Darcy Aston Environmental Advocacy Scholarship, awarded annually at Earth Day Napa to local students pursuing studies in environmental science and related fields. Since the scholarship program was established in 2016, 32 scholarships totaling more than $45,000 have been awarded to help support the next generation of environmental leaders.

Earth Day Napa is made possible through the support of community partners and sponsors: Puertas Abiertas, Napa Recycling and Waste Services, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Napa County Public Works, Sierra Club Napa, Bartlett Tree, Napa Resource Conservation District, Redwood Credit Union, BAYREN, The Gasser Foundation, The Doctors Company, Upstage Productions, City of Napa Public Works & Water Division, Spottswoode Winery, Napa Sanitation District, Democrats of Napa Valley, Mattress Recycling Council’s Bye Bye Mattress Program, Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine, and World Centric.

Bring your friends and family to the Earth Day celebration! Let’s come together to honor and protect our planet while enjoying a day of celebration and community spirit!

Janelle Sellick is the Executive Director of the Foundation, and was board president when the group first started. She and her husband Mike moved to American Canyon in 2003, thinking of it as a temporary move until they continued on to Colorado. But by the time the wetlands trail opened in 2005, they knew Am Can was the perfect place to live and raise their (now) four children. As a mom, Janelle looked for enrichment opportunities for her kids. When she talked to teachers, they emphasized the importance of hands-on learning. With the San Pablo Bay and Napa River as American Canyon’s backyard, she and others could see the possibilities. The small group rolled up its’ sleeves and went to work.

The Foundations’ education and community programming is extensive. One example is Watershed Explorers, which serves over 300 fourth graders each year. The program begins with a day of in-class presentation and nature journaling, followed by a Day Two visit to the wetlands, rotating through interactive stations led by partners such as the Napa County Resource Conservation District, Napa Open Space and the Suscol Intertribal Council. Topics include plankton, The First People, macroinvertebrates, wastewater and wildlife conservation. Day Three includes an engaging session with the Foundation’s Outdoor Connection Mobile Classroom where students use a hands-on water table to learn about watershed dynamics, examine samples under microscopes and record their findings in their journals. It isn’t ’t all “work” though – in Wetlands Academy, a program that serves over 380 seventh graders, students looked for crabs and skipped rocks at Glass Beach. Joy Hilton and Andrea Long, the two Foundation Program Directors, laughed as they discussed the unique curriculums for both students and adults. “We like to think of it as ‘sneaky learning,’” said Andrea.

What do the students think? Here’s feedback from one fourth grader who participated: “Who knew that a bunch of ten-year-olds could make such a difference?”

A new Watershed Trainee program introduced second and third graders to nature walks and scavenger hunts. In 2023, the Foundation introduced the Outdoor Connection, a mobile classroom that delivered hands on science programs to eight schools as part of the Napa Valley Unified School District’s summer program.

The Teen WILD program had 24 students in 2024, who helped design their programing, which included trail clean-ups and community led hikes. Teen WILD leader Chair Miles, spoke of the program during American Canyon’s An Evening at the Ruins. “Connecting with our environment is vital to connecting to ourselves, to making change and to building a strong community.”

Feeling left out, adults? There are numerous community hikes throughout the year and quarterly Wetlands Coffee Mornings to connect community, nature, and of course, caffeine. Or try the Wine and Wild program, a quarterly wildlife education series which has included meet-and-greets with owls, raptors, opossums, and more – all while you enjoy an optional glass of wine. Sneaky learning, anyone?

So… you might think that this would be enough for a small team of five staff and two interns to pull off, but the Napa River Ecology Center, less than an easy one-mile walk from the wetlands, is going to take this to a whole new level. The three-acre site includes a 5,000 square-foot existing building that is being repurposed to provide river conservation efforts, environmental education and public access. There will be separate space for wildlife viewing, making art, and eventually a kayak launch (through the City’s Wetlands Restoration Plan). Some people will just want to walk around or maybe picnic on-site. It doesn’t matter. All are welcome. This is a $9 million dollar project that will pay untold dividends in benefits to thousands of people each year. Groundbreaking on the Ecology Center is expected later this year.

If you’ve never visited the Wetlands, located at 2 Eucalyptus Drive in American Canyon, do so. Over five miles of well-maintained walking trails offer great Bay views, bird watching, or just an easy walk or bicycle. An outdoor workout equipment center – an early fundraising project of the Foundation – is adjacent to the parking lot. If you want to find out more about the Napa River Ecology Center, visit their website (napaecocenter.org). Donations are always welcome.