Take a seat and get some Earth Day inspiration for this year! Photo taken at Mobile Botanical Gardens. Photo by Liv George for The Bama Buzz.

With Earth Day coming up soon (April 22!), many are looking for a cheap and fun way to celebrate the great outdoors. We know that people come to the Mobile area for the beach, so we’ve rounded up 5 non-beach ideas to expand your Earth Day plans this year.

1. Downtown

Cooper Riverside Park Entrance. — Cooper Riverside Park entrance. Photo by Liv George for The Bama Buzz.

Cathedral Square, Mobile, Al — Cooper Riverside Park entrance. Photo by Liv George for The Bama Buzz.

Mobile has a gorgeous and scenic downtown, full of murals, fun activities, bars, restaurants, and more! Take a walk around downtown and try to find some murals, or visit Cathedral Square to enjoy the park. You can also check out the The Lost Garden, a community gardening project, located on Dauphin Street.

You can also check out Cooper Riverside Park and watch the boats go by on the Mobile River. This is a great spot for a picnic and a lovely outdoor setting.

2. USS Alabama and Battleship Memorial Park

Veteran'S Memorial At Battleship Memorial Park. — Veteran’s memorial at Battleship Memorial Park.

Uss Alabama Battleship — Veteran’s memorial at Battleship Memorial Park.

For all you history buffs, the USS Alabama and Battleship Memorial Park is the perfect fit for your Earth Day celebrations.

A $4 admission fee gets you into the park itself–several acres of outdoor exploration on grounds full of memorial exhibits and decommissioned fighter planes, helicopters, and more. There are also picnic tables and grills available for you if you want to have a picnic.

For $15 admission (for adults, prices vary for children and active-duty servicemen, see the Battleship website for details), you can explore the entirety of the almost 700-ft long ship.

3. Nature trails and parks

Longleaf Forest, In Langan Park — Longleaf Forest, in Langan Park. Photo via Liv George.

Longleaf Forest, in Langan Park. Photo via Liv George.

Luckily, there’s absolutely no shortage of parks and outdoor spaces to enjoy your Earth Day! Here’s a non-exhaustive list of some cool parks to try out:

Medal of Honor Park: with 1.2 miles of walking trails, 1.5 miles of biking trails, and a full disc golf course; you can have any kind of outdoor fun at Medal of Honor Park. Enjoy the large oak trees that encircle the park as you walk, bike, or travel the disc golf course.
Langan Park: A Bama Buzz favorite, Langan park is a huge 720-acre park that has the Mobile Museum of Art, Playhouse in the Park (a community theater group), Longleaf Forest, and Mobile Botanical Gardens within the park grounds. You can plan a full day, with allocations for Mobile’s finicky weather, here at Langan Park. Enjoy the walking trails that feature large art installations, go fishing in the small lake, play disc golf, explore the museum, and more.
Glenn Sebastian Nature Trails at USA: Check out the over three miles of trails, located on South’s campus, and explore the almost 100-acres that South set aside for natural preservation. This trail also intersects with the JagFit trail, 1.5 miles of gravel pathways with occasional stops with workout equipment. There’s also a disc golf course along these trails.

4. Get gardening!

Elizabeth'S Garden, Mobile Al. — Elizabeth’s Garden, Mobile AL.

What’s a better way to celebrate Earth Day than digging into the dirt yourself? Luckily, we just have all the gardening tips you need to know to get your Earth Day planter plans together.

Whether you want to plant flowers for pollinators, grow your own herbs and veggies, or just have beautiful landscaping–we can help! If you plan on starting a garden this Earth Day, consider shopping at a local nursery like, A Bloom Garden Center or Elizabeth’s Garden for all you may need. The staff is super knowledgeable about Mobile climate and gardening, plus they’re always wiling to help even the blackest of thumbs find a plant that works for them.

5. Visit the Botanical Gardens

Larkin Learning Center At Mobile Botanical Gardens — Employee of the Century

If you go to Langan Park, be sure to check ou the Mobile Botanical Gardens. These 100-some acres of gorgeous gardns and installations really show off the biodiversity Mobile has to offer. They’re open Wednesday-Sunday and sell tickets online in advance ($8 admission for adults) or at the gate.

The gardens offer acres of lovely flora, sculptures by local artists, and even a kitty staff member! You can grab a map and take a self-guided tour or reserve a group tour by a staff member in advance.

6. Support a local conservation group

Mobile Baykeeper Cleanup In Oaklawn — Mobile Baykeeper Cleanup in Oaklawn. Photo via Mobile Baykeeper

The most important part of Earth day is, well, the Earth! Supporting local conservation groups–either with time or money–can make a real difference and make sure the Earth is here for many more Earth Days to come.

Here’s a short list of Mobile conservation groups:

Whatever you decide to do for Earth Day, Mobile has a plethora of options to celebrate this planet we all call home.