Earth Day this year lands on Sunday, April 22. It is a time to celebrate our planet’s natural beauty.

Equally important, it is a day of political action and civic participation, with the goal of making changes to keep our planet healthy.

This year, the founding Earth Day Network wants to provide the information and inspiration needed to fundamentally change human attitude and behavior about plastics.

“From poisoning and injuring marine life to disrupting human hormones, from littering our beaches and landscapes to clogging our waste streams and landfills, the exponential growth of plastics is now threatening the survival of our planet,” the network reported.

West Maui residents and visitors can join in the global effort on April 22 during the Earth Day Celebration Beach Cleanup from 8 to 11 a.m. on the beach near Kamehameha Iki Park.

In the cleanup hosted by Down the Hatch, Manakai Swimwear and Malama Maui Nui, volunteers will remove microplastic waste from the popular beach. Contact info@manakaiswimwear.com for more information.

The day before, Saturday, April 21, volunteers will participate in an Earth Day Honolua Bay Beach Cleanup from 9 a.m. to noon.

“We’ve purchased a container, and we’re ready to move metal, lumber, trash and a lot of dumping that’s happening on Lipoa Point. Bring reusable water bottles, tennis shoes, and be ready to clean up Lipoa,” the Surfrider Foundation-Maui Chapter noted on the Facebook page for the cleanup, where people can sign up.

The Honolua work day is sponsored by the Save Honolua Coalition, Surfrider Foundation and Maui Land and Pineapple Co. Inc., assisted by Down the Hatch and Aloha Waste.

Volunteer that weekend and take part in the largest civic-focused day of action in the world, joining more than ONE BILLION people in 192 countries.