Celebrate Spring Outdoors with Long Beach’s Family Days in Nature 

Spring is the perfect time to get outside, and the City of Long Beach is making it easy to reconnect with nature. The Office of Climate Action and Sustainability is bringing back its annual Family Days in Nature series, inviting the community to Willow Springs Park for two free, family-friendly events centered on habitat restoration, sustainability and outdoor discovery.

The spring lineup kicks off with Monarch Day of Action from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 14. Participants can help plant Narrowleaf Milkweed and other native species that support monarch butterflies and local pollinators while learning how small actions can make a big environmental impact. The morning will also feature music, crafts, hands-on restoration activities and opportunities to connect with community organizations focused on sustainability. Residents can learn more and register at lbcity.info/monarch.

On Saturday, April 25, the park will host the City Nature Challenge from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., part of a global event that encourages people to document plants and wildlife in their communities using the iNaturalist app. Attendees can join guided walks, take part in a scavenger hunt and work alongside local partners to help capture the biodiversity that makes Long Beach unique. The challenge is a collaboration between the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the California Academy of Sciences, with Long Beach proudly participating for the fifth year. Learn more and register at lbcity.info/cnc.

Both events offer a chance to explore the restored wetland habitat at Willow Springs Park, which officially became a City park in December 2024. Last year, more than 300 visitors joined the festivities, planting 150 native plants and logging over 100 nature observations.

To learn more about these events and other sustainability programs, visit longbeach.gov/sustainability.