It's almost Earth Day!
The annual April 22 holiday, first celebrated in 1970 according to the Environmental Protection Agency, is a good reminder not just of how far climate protection measures have come in 52 years, but also of everything the natural world has to offer.
Some of that natural beauty can be found right in our own backyards.
Here's a look at some popular state parks and natural landmarks around SoCal.
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Laguna Niguel
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A hiker crosses a bridge on the Wood Creek Trail in Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park in Laguna Niguel, CA on Friday, July 9, 2021. "The 4,500-acre park is home to mature coast live oaks, two year-round streams and 30 miles of trails. The park was named part of the Old-Growth Forest Network because of its live oak and sycamore trees, some of which are over 200 years old and 50 feet tall.
Joshua Tree State Park
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Joshua trees and other desert plants grow in Joshua Tree National Park on July 22, 2021 near Twentynine Palms, California. The park is among California's most popular tourist destinations.
Big Bear Lake
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Big Bear Lake is seeing record low levels for the last 15 years with water down more than 15 feet recently in Big Bear on Wednesday, September 15, 2021.
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Comet NEOWISE, also known as 'C/2020 F3', is visible above Big Bear Lake after sunset on July 19, 2020 in Big Bear Lake, California.
Bolsa Chica State Beach
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Willets fly over the Los Cerritos Wetlands as land developers and wildlife conservationists compete for the vanishing wetland on July 31, 2007 near Long Beach, California. The Los Cerritos Wetlands are the largest privately owned coastal marsh in Southern California where 95 percent of coastal marshland habitat has been lost to development.
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An aerial view of Bolsa Chica State Beach campground, which sits empty of campers as it is closed for Easter weekend travelers, spring breakers and visitors flocking to Bolsa Chica State Beach Thursday, April 1, 2021 in Huntington Beach, CA.
Santa Catalina Island
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General views of Point Vicente Lighthouse against the backdrop of Santa Catalina Island on March 11, 2021 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
Angeles National Forest
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A driver rides the Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2) in the Angeles National Forest on October 2, 2013 in the San Gabriel Mountains, northeast of Los Angeles, California.
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In an aerial view from a drone, fresh snow covers the San Gabriel Mountains on the morning after a winter storm breaks on January 30, 2021 near La CaƱada Flintridge, California.
Griffith Park
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Downtown Los Angeles and the Griffith Observatory are seen in this photo taken from the Tom LaBonge Summit in Griffith Park.
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File Image: Aerial view of Burbank cityscape from Hollywood Hills. Los Angeles, California/USA - April 8, 2018
