Earth Day Park

A short walk from the National Mall, atop the 9th St. Expressway and sandwiched between the Department of Energy and the Federal Aviation Administration, is a lush, mid-city green space that even most locals don’t know about.

Earth Day Park was initially dedicated on April 22, 1996. It was just a vacant lot at the outset of the project, but through a joint effort by the Department of Energy and General Services Administration, it underwent an incredible transformation into a verdant garden, breathing new life into an area surrounded by a concrete jungle of Federal buildings.

Earth Day Park was once again overhauled in 2014 in response to a Presidential Memorandum to promote the health of honeybees and other pollinators. The result was a veritable oasis for bees, wasps, moths, birds, and butterflies. Many of the plants that make up the park are species native to Mid-Atlantic states.

The sustainable maintenance plan for the park prohibits the use of fossil fuels, herbicides, or pesticides in its care, and reduces both air and noise pollution. The seasonal flowers provide blossoms for up to 10 months per year.

The park provides shelter and nourishment for its non-human visitors and a very peaceful daytime habitat for people, as well.