OTTUMWA — The City of Ottumwa will mark Earth Day on Wednesday, April 22 with two separate events: a community tree planting led by the Parks and Recreation Department and the kickoff of the annual Make Ottumwa Shine litter cleanup event.

Parks and Recreation staff will be joined by volunteers from Job Corps and students from the Ottumwa Community School District to plant 24 trees in Ottumwa Park and 23 trees at Cedar Creek Golf Course. All trees planted will be species native to Iowa. The planting project was made possible through a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The 2026 Make Ottumwa Shine community cleanup will run from Wednesday, April 22 through Saturday, April 25. Individuals, families, neighborhood groups, businesses, and organizations are all invited to participate by adopting a cleanup location. A list of available properties to adopt, and more information, can be found at www.ottumwa.us/shine. Purple trash bags and gloves will be supplied to volunteers. Supplies can be picked up at the Building and Code Enforcement Office on the second floor of City Hall, 105 East Third Street, and the Ottumwa Recycling Center, located at 2415 Emma Street. This year, there will be a centralized drop-off location. Volunteers can contact 641-954-0461 for the waste drop-off location.