Architects from Gensler build a sand castle on Santa Monica Beach while being filmed for a news segment on Friday, April 18, 2014. Leading architects and professional designers alike will square off in the return of this beloved beachfront competition at Heal the Bay commemoration of the 44th anniversary of Earth Day on Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the beach south of the3 Santa Monica Pier.

Sandcastle teams will compete for top honors to be awarded by a panel of celebrity judges, including Single Mom’s Club star Amy Smart and Mina Chow, a professor at USC’s School of Architecture. A smaller-scale competition, geared toward non-professionals and families, will be open to the public later in the afternoon, with prizes awarded in a variety of categories.

While Heal the Bay ramps up its outreach and conservation efforts around Earth Day, the Santa Monica-based nonprofit encourages Southland residents to extend the spirit all year long by participating in our Nothin’ But Sand beach cleanups, watershed restoration projects and community advocacy trainings, which are held monthly throughout the year.

Thousands of beach-lovers will converge in Santa Monica at Heal the Bay’s biggest cleanup of the year. Open to all ages, this Earth Day tradition is a great opportunity for families and friends to have good, clean fun while preserving a vital resource. Volunteers must be 13 years old or accompanied by an adult. As part of Heal the Bay’s Zero Waste initiative, participants are asked to bring their own buckets and gloves. Community service hours available. 

Heal the Bay will thank its cleanup volunteers by offering free admission to the Aquarium for all participants. Featuring over 100 species of Santa Monica Bay natives and a smorgasbord of kid-friendly craft activities, the Aquarium is a great place to learn about our local beaches, rivers and creeks. At 2 p.m. in the Dorothy Green Room, renowned underwater photographer Richard Salas will captivate audiences with stories and photographs from the deep