April 22, is Earth Day.

Volunteers in the Comox Valley and Campbell River are marking Earth Day with hands-on cleanup efforts today, with more opportunities planned for the weekend.

In the Comox Valley, a series of Earth Week cleanups is underway.

At Little River Nature Park, volunteers are working from 9:30 a.m. to noon, removing invasive Scotch Broom to help restore native habitat.

Organizers say participants can drop in, bring kneeling pads or something to sit on, and assist with cutting and clearing the plants.

Also on Wednesday, from 9:00 am to noon at Brooklyn Creek Greenway (Quadra Place entrance), community members will work to remove invasive plants and help restore the natural corridor.

The efforts are part of a broader push across the region encouraging residents to take part in small, local environmental actions during Earth Week.

Another option running today and through the end of the month is the Small Planet Energy cleanup challenge, which invites individuals and groups in Campbell River and the Comox Valley to collect litter in their neighbourhoods, parks, or shorelines.

The annual initiative has drawn hundreds of participants in previous years and resulted in several tonnes of garbage being removed from local communities.

On Saturday, the City of Courtenay is hosting its fourth annual Community Clean-up event from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Volunteers will meet at the Courtenay Air Park for orientation at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

The Rotary Club of Campbell River is also putting on their annual community-wide cleanup on Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00pm.

They’ll meet at the gravel parking lot, north of the Shell Gas station, off Willis Road.