Earth Day

Earth Day at the Arboretum

Saturday, April 18, 2026
9 AM – 1 PM
Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle

This Earth Day, dig into the fascinating world beneath your feet with Fun with Fungi at the Washington Park Arboretum. Join us for a day of hands-on stewardship, curiosity, and discovery as we explore the powerful role fungi play in healthy ecosystems and thriving communities.

Get your hands dirty

Help care for the Arboretum through volunteer work parties focused on seasonal stewardship like weeding and mulching. These activities support the health of the gardens while offering a chance to work alongside fellow volunteers, families, and nature lovers. See “Instructions for Work-Service Volunteers” below for more details. Registration coming soon!

Explore growing mushrooms at home

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about mushroom kits and how fungi grow using sawdust-based substrates designed for home cultivation. These kits introduce the basic lifecycle of mushrooms and make the hidden world of fungi approachable, hands-on, and fun for all ages.

Meet local mushroom experts

Local mushroom growers and fungal educators will be on site to answer questions, share knowledge, and connect visitors with the vibrant mycological community of the Pacific Northwest.

Fungi are community members, too

Fungi don’t just produce mushrooms. Underground, some of them form vast networks called mycorrhizae that connect plant roots and allow trees and plants to share water, nutrients, and resources. These networks strengthen forests and help ecosystems thrive.

Like human communities, many fungi succeed through connection, cooperation, and shared support. Fun with Fungi invites you to notice these parallels and reflect on how caring for the natural world also helps us care for one another.

Come celebrate Earth Day by learning, growing, and connecting at the Arboretum!

Work-service volunteers at our 2025 event.

Visitors making a bee hotel at our 2025 event.

Instructions for Work-Service Volunteers

WHO: Volunteers must be 15 years or older to participate on a work crew.

WHERE: Washington Park Arboretum, 2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle, WA 98112. Arrive at the Graham Visitors Center parking lot. Check in will be at Crabapple Meadow, a few minutes walk south along Arboretum Drive. We’ll also have free coffee and snack.

PARKING DETAILS: At the Graham Visitors Center (address above). our parking staff and signage will direct you to the correct parking area.

CHECK IN & SITE ASSIGNMENT: After arriving at the Visitors Center, please follow the directions from staff/signs to Crabapple Meadow, where you will check-in. There will be a large group welcome, and then volunteers will meet their site leader and team and walk out to their worksites together.

BRING WITH YOU: Please bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated, food to help sustain you, and work gloves if you have them*. Please wear long pants, bring a layer or a raincoat, and closed-toe shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty. Please come dressed for the weather; this event will happen rain or shine!

PROVIDED: Tools and training.

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS:

• Stay home if you have symptoms or test positive for Covid-19.
• Bring your own water bottle (full or empty), and snacks for the work day.
• Bring work gloves, if you can. *There will be some available if you are unable to bring a pair.
• Volunteers may need to walk 5 to 15 minutes out to their specific worksite and may also need to walk 5+ minutes to the nearest restroom.
• The work on the Arboretum grounds is very physical, and the tasks may involve navigation across uneven ground.

Registration coming soon!

QUESTIONS? Contact our Volunteer Department at volunteer@arboretumfoundation.org or phone at 206-325-4510.

Event Partners

Supported in part by: