JOSEPH — Eastern Oregon is joining in Earth Day Oregon for the first time.

Wallowa Land Trust joined the nonprofit coalition this year, and has partnered up with Terminal Gravity Brewing, Moonlight Graphics and Wild Carrot Herbals. As well, Greater Hells Canyon Council and Farmers Ending Hunger — which has several participating farms in Hermiston and Echo — have joined Earth Day Oregon for this year’s campaign.

“Oregon Earth Day came about more to celebrate the work that’s being done specifically in our state that’s helping to conserve our lands and care for a planet,” said Sarah Kleinhanzl, communications and outreach coordinator for Wallowa Land Trust. “As Wallowa Land Trust, our mission is to conserve and promote healthy landscapes here in Wallowa County, and so those missions obviously interlock pretty well.”

One of the ways Wallowa Land Trust is raising funds is through an in-person fundraising event on Friday, April 22.

“We haven’t had any in-person fundraisers for a couple of years because of COVID-19, so we’re really excited about it,“ Kleinhanzl said.

The fundraiser will include silent auctions for local art, live music, drinks, food and beer donated by Terminal Gravity Brewing. Kleinhanzl said it would be “a chance to reconnect with our community and raise the money for our conservation work.”

“We’re really grateful for the local support,” she said. “The three partners that we partnered with have been really supportive throughout the years, and we’re really glad that they joined us.”

The land trust does not have specific projects for the fundraiser, but money raised will be used to help maintain ongoing operations and contracts with local landowners for their continuing involvement with Wallowa Land Trust.

Earth Day Oregon, founded in 2019, is a revitalization of previous efforts to localize Earth Day in the state, according to Kelly Stevens, executive director. The first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970, and it has become a global event celebrated across dozens of countries.

“It’s not the first time Earth Day has happened in Oregon, certainly,” she said, “but I would say that we really see an opportunity to make it a day, make it a time for bringing the state together and to have a really inclusive version of Earth Day.”

Earth Day Oregon has a variety of nonprofit organization partners — ranging from land trusts to food bank donations. A majority of those organizations are in the Portland metro area, but Stevens has been focusing on expanding the campaign to include more rural communities and nonprofits.

“When people look at our website, when they see who our partners are, they’re going to see opportunities with conservation nonprofits, including two in Eastern Oregon,” she said. “And they’ll also see groups that are working to end poverty, spur local economies and reduce inequality. And then, also, preserve our forests and our oceans and things like that. What we’re really excited about at Earth Day Oregon is this more holistic view of what we can all do together every April.”

Stevens said the campaign has doubled the number of nonprofits outside of the Portland metro area that had allied with Earth Day Oregon. Roughly one-third of the nonprofits are from areas outside Portland, she said.

“As Oregonians, we’ve got a pretty good-sized state, but no matter where we live, we all care about the beauty of this state and our communities,” she said. “By supporting the nonprofit partners and the many business partners in Eastern Oregon, people are ensuring that Eastern Oregon stays beautiful and those ecosystems are healthy and people are able to still work those rural lands, and have vibrant local ecosystems and vibrant local economies.”