On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we can volunteer as a way of giving back to the community, the environment, and ourselves. Here’s a list of just some of many opportunities.

• Help plant new trees January 19 at Steve Cox Memorial Park and January 21 at Skyway Park. Contact Lina Rose.
• Join theHunger Intervention Program for a day of service on January 21. Help prepare and serve hot meals to seniors, make weekend food packs for kids, and clean the kitchen.
• The West Seattle Arboretum filters ground water and cleans our air of impurities, but it requires regular maintenance from volunteers and students. Help out on January 21.
• Gather at Smith Woods Park for the forest restoration work party with the Green Redmond Partnership on January 21. Help remove invasive plants and add nutrients to restoration sites.
• The MLK Day Family Literacy and Civil Right Event on January 21 will provide readings, discussion, crafts, and videos as a way for families to learn about and celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Volunteers are needed to help with discussions and activities, and to assist families in picking out books for their children.
• Seattle MESA MLK Scholarship Day on January 21 helps underrepresented high school students prepare for the college application process. Volunteers 21 and older are asked to help students find scholarship resources, brainstorm ideas for scholarship essays, and proofread their essays. Participate in this important project to help underrepresented minorities navigate barriers to higher education.

Volunteering doesn’t have to be a dedicated to only one day. If you’re looking for a long-term volunteering opportunity or even a way to change a personal habit for the benefit of the planet, consider these as a start.

• Are you an animal person? Get involved in the care of shelter animals. There are a variety of volunteer tasks, such as cleaning kennels, taking dogs outside, greeting potential adopters, and even fostering an animal.
• Be a Weed Watcher. Adopt a trail or lake and report the invasive weeds you see. Invasive weeds take the nutrients and resources a native plant needs to thrive, causing its decline and the decline of habitat for native animal species.
• Pledge to Compost More. Waste Less. Through this program, you can receive free kit about waste reduction, recycling, and ways to buy, store, and cook food to minimize waste.