Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District Earth Day

New Philadelphia, OH (April 6, 2026)— The Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) is inviting residents and visitors to celebrate Earth Day 2026 with a series of community-focused events designed to promote environmental stewardship and appreciation for the region’s natural resources.
 
Activities will take place across multiple MWCD locations and include opportunities to plant native trees, recycle materials, and help keep parks and shorelines clean. These efforts support MWCD’s mission to conserve land and water while encouraging hands-on involvement from communities throughout the watershed.
 
“Earth Day is an opportunity for our communities to come together and take simple, meaningful actions that have a lasting impact on our watershed,” said Dana Ohman, MWCD chief of conservation. “In addition to our public tree giveaway, we’re proud to extend this effort into local schools, distributing more than 3,500 native seedlings to students across Ashland, Belmont, Muskingum, Tuscarawas, and Noble counties. By putting trees directly into students’ hands, we’re helping grow a more diverse canopy while teaching the importance of trees in supporting pollinators, managing stormwater, and strengthening our environment for future generations.”
 
Tree Giveaway – April 18 from 10:00am-12pm
Visit Atwood, Charles Mill, and Tappan Lake Parks to receive free oak seedlings. Oaks are especially valuable, serving as a vital food source for caterpillars and helping intercept and store rainwater. Since 2024, this initiative will have provided more than 2,200 seedlings. Buckeye Career Center Natural Resources students will also play a role by assisting with packaging the seedlings.
 
Earth Day Clean-up at the Lake
MWCD encourages the community to participate in the Earth Day Clean-up at the Lake and help keep them pristine by gathering and disposing of trash around the lake. In return, participants will receive a free night of camping. Events occur:

• April 18: Atwood, Clendening, Charles Mill, Tappan
• April 25: Piedmont, Pleasant Hill, Seneca

 
Tire Take Back – April 25 from 9am-12pm
The Tire Take Back Event will be hosted at Seneca Lake Marina and offers residents a convenient way to responsibly dispose of used tires. This initiative helps reduce litter and prevent pollution in streams, rivers, lakes, and soil, with collected tires being recycled into new materials like rubber mulch and gym mats. Willig Tire Recycling LLC will be on-site to accept passenger tires (no semi or agricultural tires will be accepted). Tires must be free of debris, and tires on rims will be accepted but will not be removed from the rim and will be donated as is. (State law prohibits hauling more than 10 tires without a permit.)
 
MWCD encourages everyone to participate in these or other Earth Day events and join in protecting and preserving the natural beauty of Eastern Ohio. More information on MWCD’s Earth Day events can be found at www.mwcd.org.
 
About Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District
The MWCD, a political subdivision of the state, was organized in 1933 to develop and implement a plan to reduce flooding and conserve water for beneficial public uses in the Muskingum River Watershed, the largest wholly contained watershed in Ohio. Since their construction, the 16 reservoirs and dams in the MWCD region have been credited for saving over $9 billion worth of potential property damage from flooding according to the federal government, as well as providing popular recreational opportunities that bolster the region’s economy, garnering more than 5 million visitors annually. A significant portion of the reservoirs are managed by the MWCD, and the dams are managed for flood-risk management by the federal U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). For more information about the MWCD, visit www.mwcd.org and follow the MWCD on Facebook and Instagram.