Mayor Bowser Kicks Off Earth Month with Return of Spring Services to Keep DC Clean, Invites Residents to Take Part in 10th Annual Spring Cleanup

(Washington, DC) - Today, on the first day of Earth Month, Mayor Muriel Bowser and District leaders highlighted the city's spring cleaning and beautification services and invited community members to participate in the District's 10th Annual Spring Cleanup events happening on Saturday, April 25-a yearly tradition where the community comes together to beautify neighborhoods. Residents were also encouraged to learn more about and utilize the Helping Hand program, which loans tools to residents organizing neighborhood cleanups.

"Washington, DC is a beautiful, clean city, but that doesn't just happen - it's because of the teams of public servants who keep our city clean and the many members of our community who make it a priority to take care of their neighborhoods," said Mayor Bowser. "The 10th Annual Spring Cleanup is a celebration of that work, and I'm inviting every resident to grab a pair of gloves, get out there on April 25, and be part of it. And if you can't join us on April 25, learn more about the Helping Hand program and organize a neighborhood cleanup that works for you and your neighbors."

DPW Spring Services
With the arrival of spring, Department of Public Works (DPW) crews are resuming seasonal services, including street and alley cleaning, graffiti removal, grass cutting, and the Helping Hand program-all part of the District's ongoing efforts to keep neighborhoods clean, support community beautification, and advance sustainability initiatives across the city. Today, DPW also announced several initiatives to help its continued efforts to reduce waste in the District, including the expansion of food waste collection options and a new recycling partnership with the DC Housing Authority, which will provide recycling bins and collections to its residents for the first time. DPW will also now administer the Mayor's Office of the Clean City (MOCC) and the District's Adopt a Block program, which will be folded into the agency's Office of Waste Diversion to provided more streamlined service delivery.

"Earth Month highlights the many ways our employees and residents are working together to make DC greener, and adding MOCC and Adopt a Block to our portfolio enhances the coordination of that work," said DPW Interim Director Anthony Crispino. "Increasing waste diversion options, targeted corridor and highway cleaning, and supporting community cleanups help position DC as a national model for services that protect the environment and improve residents' quality of life."

Residents interested in organizing neighborhood cleanups or participating in DPW's sustainability programs can learn more by visiting dpw.dc.gov or zerowaste.dc.gov.

PaveDC and Smooth Streets
The DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) also joined in kicking off the return of spring services, releasing its 2026 Paving Plan and providing updates on the agency's Smooth Streets Initiative. This is the seventh year of the PaveDC Campaign, which will resurface 81 miles of road and restore 40 miles of sidewalk, part of Mayor Bowser's continued investment in the District's infrastructure. For PaveDC updates and a list of all locations, visit pavedc.ddot.dc.gov.

Additionally, DDOT's Smooth Streets Initiative brings together nine utility and construction partners, including Washington Gas, DC Water, and Pepco, to coordinate restoration efforts, minimize disruptions, and ensure public spaces are fully and properly restored. Over the winter, more than 2,900 locations throughout the District were impacted by necessary utility work. The nine utility companies will fund their restorations and DDOT will conduct inspections to ensure all repairs meet safety and quality standards. This collaborative effort reinforces DDOT's commitment to maintaining public spaces and preserving District assets, ensuring residents can safely travel on our roads and sidewalks. In 2025, the initiative helped usher in 22 miles of roadway restoration and three miles of sidewalk restoration.

"Thanks to Mayor Bowser's historic investments in transportation infrastructure, DDOT is proud to launch the 2026 PaveDC season with continued strategic investments in roads and sidewalks," said DDOT Director Sharon Kershbaum. "Through rigorous condition assessments, we target our restoration funds where they are most needed, reducing the need for short-term fixes over time. Over the past seven years, DDOT has restored over 823 miles of streets and returned more than 80 percent of our road network to a state of good repair. When pothole and sidewalk repairs are needed, we're executing them better than ever. PaveDC ensures every resident, commuter, and visitor can move safely and reliably on District roads for years to come."

Spring-Summer Facilities Preparation
In preparation for the warmer months ahead, the Department of General Services (DGS) is readying District facilities and public spaces, including 55 parks, 39 community gardens, 14 indoor pools, 22 outdoor pools, 35 spray parks, 13 dog parks, and over 130 fields and playgrounds across all eight wards.

"Each year, DGS leads readiness efforts by conducting checks on DC government parks, playgrounds, and facilities to minimize service disruptions during the peak usage season," said DGS Director Delano Hunter. "We are preparing our pools and spray parks, turning on the fountains, ramping up ground maintenance, and making sure sites are safe and ready for families to enjoy."

Readiness operations include mowing, weed removal, trimming of bushes and hedges, and removal of dead limbs and debris; water activations at community gardens, dog parks, water fountains, and pool houses; and the seasonal switchover from heating to cooling systems across District-owned facilities. For more information on DGS Spring-Summer Readiness Operations visit dgs.dc.gov/page/spring-summer-readiness-operations.

DC Health Rodent Abatement Pilot
This spring, DC Health is also helping keep the city healthy and clean by launching a targeted rodent control pilot to reduce rodent activity and improve public health in areas experiencing high rodent impact. Using a three-pronged "blitz" approach, the pilot will include methods such as second-generation anticoagulant bait placed in active burrows, first-generation anticoagulant tracking powder that rodents ingest during grooming, and a non-lethal rodent fertility control bait designed to reduce rodent reproduction over time. The blitz activities will occur in three-week cycles, where a team of inspectors will apply all three control methods and conduct frequent monitoring. Follow-up abatement will continue during the second and third weeks based on inspection findings and observed rodent activity. In partnership with DPW, DC Department of Buildings, Business Improvement Districts, and Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, DC Health aims to expand this pilot throughout the District.

Residents are encouraged to report rodent activity by submitting a request through DC 311. For more information, including prevention tips and rodent control resources, visit dchealth.dc.gov/service/rodent-and-vector-control-division.

Mayor Bowser's 10th Annual Spring Cleanup
This Earth Month, District residents are invited to participate in Mayor Bowser's 10th Annual Spring Cleanup Day on Saturday, April 25 from 10 am to 1 pm. With clean-ups and celebrations planned in all eight wards, neighbors are encouraged RSVP at tinyurl.com/DCSpringCleanup2026.

This year's clean-up sites include:

Ward 1:
Banneker Recreation Center, 2500 Georgia Avenue NW

Ward 2:
Garrison Elementary School, 1200 S Street NW

Ward 3:
Guy Mason Recreation Center, 3700 Calvert Street NW

Ward 4:
Emery Heights Recreation Center, 5701 Georgia Avenue NW

Ward 5:
Crummell School, 1900 Gallaudet Street NE

Ward 6:
Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th Street NE

Ward 7:
Washington Senior Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Avenue SE

Ward 8:
Malcolm X Park, 500 Parkland Place SE

Roll-off containers will also be available in each ward to help residents dispose of bulk waste.

DOEE Earth Month Events
In addition to the Mayor's Annual Spring Cleanup, the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) has 18 environmental cleanups scheduled during Earth Month in conjunction with other agencies and nonprofit partners. Recurring "First Saturdays" community invasive removal events are occurring at Kingman Island, Heritage Island, and the RFK Riparian. Earth Month will also feature the Third Saturdays Day of Service-Ranger-Led Cleanup on Kingman and Heritage Islands that is the culmination of recurring monthly trash cleanups and community science data collection events led by the Kingman Island Rangers and WABA Trail Rangers. And DOEE will be hosting an Earth Day celebration at its headquarters in NoMa, featuring workshops on reuse, upcycling, repair of used or broken items, and conservation and stewardship of the environment.

"Earth Month is the culmination of what DOEE stands for: protecting and renewing the environment in which we all live," said DOEE Director Richard Jackson, "And we are all proud to serve District residents through our cleanup, conservation, and education efforts."

For more information about upcoming events, follow DOEE on X and Instagram at @DOEE_DC.

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