When you volunteer at the annual Muir Woods Earth Day Celebration on Earth Day (February 7,2009), you’ll enjoy the majestic redwoods and tree-hugger camaraderie while helping to restore and preserve a spectacular national park. Projects include planting, habitat restoration and weed removal, mulching, tending the forest floor and trail maintenance throughout the Redwood Creek Watershed. If you can’t make it on Earth Day, join the Muir Beach Volunteer Beach Clean-up Program on second Saturdays.

Just want to walk in the magnificent Muir Woods? You can always enjoy the 6 miles of trails through thousands of old-growth coast redwoods for a small fee. Take the 1/2 hour loop, the 1 hour loop, the 1 1/2 hour loop or if you’re feeling energetic, take the longer route into surrounding parks.

Deal: Free entrance, free lunch, and props to volunteers for keeping the forest healthy. For non-volunteers, regular day passes are $5.00 for adults 16 years old and over and free for children 15 years old and under. (Entrance fee also valid for same-day use at John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA.) Or buy an annual Pass for $20.00 (good for pass holder and all accompanying passengers in a private vehicle to Muir Woods National Monument in Mill Valley, CA and John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA).

Where: Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Marin, California 94941. map

When: Earth Day–Saturday, February 7, 2009, 8:30am-1pm (registration 8-8:30am). Muir Beach Volunteer Beach Clean-up Program is held every second Saturday of the month from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.

How: No experience necessary; groups and individuals welcome. Meet at the south end of the Muir Beach parking lot by the boardwalk. Call (415) 561-3044 or (415) 561-3077; or sign up by email to: volunteer@parksconservancy.org.