Celebrate Earth Day

1. Go Car-Free in Pasadena: A Pedestrian City

Explore Pasadena’s historic landmarks, attractions in a pedestrian-friendly city. With beautiful public art, urban greenery, and historic architecture, the strong network of public transportation within the city makes it is easy to go Car-Free in Pasadena. In 2024, Pasadena celebrates Earth Day by providing free rides on Pasadena Transit and Dial-A-Ride. Be sure to check out the Trip Planner from Pasadena Transit. An alternative mode of travel is cycling on the Union Street Protected Bikeway which will connect three popular districts, Old Pasadena, Civic Center, and Playhouse Village to Pasadena City College, CalTech, City Hall, and Metro Gold Line stations.

Pasadena continues to make improvements to the public transit system, aiming to further advance the city’s climate action plans. The city council adopted Pasadena Transit’s Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Rollout Plan with an aggressive schedule to have full ZEB fleets by 2026. To support the transition to clean air buses, construction plans of a new Operations and Maintenance Facility, outfitted with electric charging facilities and potential Hydrogen fueling, is underway.

2. Spend Time in Nature

In 2023, Pasadena City Council passed an emergency declaration on climate change, setting greenhouse gas reduction goals to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, fifteen years before California’s 2045 recommendation. Meanwhile, explore the Arroyo Seco, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to see the thriving natural ecosystems and 22 miles of trails by walking, hiking, jogging, bicycling, or picnicking. A popular urban trail in Pasadena is Eaton Canyon, a 3.4-mile hike with a refreshing 40-foot waterfall at the end. There are ample options to spend time in the urban wildlife, venture into over 24 of Pasadena’s parks providing gorgeous views, tranquil walkways, and recreation. Remember to pack out what you pack in.

Head to the new Annandale Canyon Park for a one mile out and back pedestrian trail that leads to a beautiful scenic overlook of LA’s skyscrapers. To get a picturesque view of the historic Colorado Street Bridge, head to Desiderio Park. Explore the 1,300-acre Hahamonga Watershed Park, a part of the Arroyo Seco, and enjoy the Frisbee golf course, picnic areas, and extensive network of bridle, bicycle, and hiking trails. For croquet and lawn bowling, head to Pasadena Central Park near Old Pasadena. For those looking to play tennis, check out Brookside Park, Brenner Park, and Eaton Blanche Park. Anyone interested to try their hand at pickleball can head to Allandale Park. Explore the 3.3-mile Recreation Loop around the Brookside Golf Course and Rose Bowl Stadium.

From hidden gardens to world-renowned attractions, explore Pasadena’s horticultural side and take a stroll through the city’s many beautiful Botanical Gardens. Visit Descanso Gardens from April 22 – 28 to join in on the week-long celebration of Earth Day Native Blooms. Learn about the importance of the majestic oaks and the habitats they create, attend the daily tours, and the plant giveaway on Saturday morning. If unable to plan a trip to Descanso Gardens, a simple visit to gardens like Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden and Arlington Garden involve less planning and are equally awe-inspiring.

3. Shop Sustainably, Live Slowly

There’s a lot of history and heritage to embrace when shopping in Pasadena, and shopping secondhand or refurbished helps lower our carbon footprints and participate in a circular economy, keeping things out of landfills by giving them new life. Discover why some of the most renowned interior designers and celebrities shop at the Rose Bowl Flea Market, a treasure trove of repurposed and found vintage goods. Spend the day and shop sustainably at the PCC Flea Market, LA’s oldest record store Canterbury Records, and other fabulous places in Pasadena’s Vintage Vault.

To learn a little more about the zero-waste movement, head over to My Zero Waste Store in Pasadena, where you can refill, reuse, and find unpackaged and responsibly made goods. Another place to shop responsibly is at All Love Collections where you can find eco-friendly skincare products and receive a 5% discount on purchases when you return any of their glass containers for recycling. All Love Collections are also proud supporters of the community by giving back 10% of their profits. Head over to Remainders Pasadena to shop for arts and crafts, a thrift store that uses the creative reuse model to divert thousands of pounds of usable materials from landfills. Uncover the treasure trove of fabrics, sewing and art supplies, books and ephemera. The space also offers arts and crafts classes, from DIY action figures to quilting.

Shopping locally is the name of the game, and the Pasadena Certified Farmer’s Market offers a wide selection of locally grown produce from the growers themselves. Head to Villa Park (363 East Villa Street) on Tuesdays and Victory Park (2900 block of North Sierra Madre Blvd) on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to find nutritious snacks in season.

4. Get Involved and Volunteer

Pasadena, California is home to residents that are actively involved in community service, resulting in many charitable philanthropy and nonprofit organizations that support natural lands and open spaces, historic structures, and vulnerable populations.

Union Station Homeless Services celebrates over 50 years of work towards “Bringing Our Neighbors Home.” The organization has grown to be the SPA 3 CES lead and one of the premier homeless services agencies in the San Gabriel Valley and LA County, working to permanently house individuals and families. In Fiscal Year 21-22, the organization has permanently housed 605 people, helped employ 185 people, and served 303,780 meals.

Visit https://unionstationhs.org/help/volunteer/ to learn how you can help, whether it is volunteering your time in the kitchen, sponsoring meals, or donating welcome home kits.