Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Every year on April 22, over a billion people in 190 countries take action for Earth Day. From San Francisco to San Juan, Beijing to Brussels, Marrakesh to Mexico, people make an extra effort to inspire awareness of, and appreciation for, earth's environment.

Our planet depends on raising public awareness about the impact of human activities on the biosphere, so Earth Day is usually celebrated outdoors, with individuals or groups performing acts of service to earth, like planting trees or picking up trash.

Like Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2018 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. By now most of us have read that plastic, that incredibly useful product that all of us use every day, is fast becoming public enemy number one.

From injuring marine life to disrupting human hormones, from littering our beaches and landscapes to clogging our waste streams and landfills, the exponential growth of plastics is now threatening the survival of our planet. In response, the theme for Earth Day 2018 is 'End Plastic Pollution.'

If you are here in Puerto Vallarta you can join in local Earth Day efforts by participating in a community clean-up at Lazaro Cardenas Park on Sunday, April 22 at 10:00 am.

Organized by Nat Moraga, the talented artist who's transforming Lazaro Cardenas Park into El Parque de los Azulejos with her signature mosaic style, is leading this family-friendly event that's a great way to meet new friends, and visit with old ones, while supporting the beautification of Puerto Vallarta's favorite park.

Bags, gloves, coffee and fun provided for a suggested $50 peso donation. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.