Disney Celebrates Earth Month With Global VoluntEARS Conservation Efforts

Disney is marking Volunteer Recognition Day and Earth Month by spotlighting how Disney VoluntEARS around the world are driving conservation work — from coral reef analysis on the Great Reef Census and taro farming at Aulani to costume upcycling at Hong Kong Disneyland and sea turtle research near Disney's Vero Beach Resort. The push coincides with the Disney Conservation Fund's 30th anniversary and a month-long Disney Planet Possible storytelling countdown to Earth Day.

Disney is marking Volunteer Recognition Day and Earth Month by spotlighting how Disney VoluntEARS around the world are driving conservation efforts — from coral reef analysis on Australia's Great Barrier Reef to taro farming at Aulani and sea turtle research near Disney's Vero Beach Resort.

Disney VoluntEARS Around the World

Volunteering has long been woven into Disney's culture through Disney VoluntEARS, The Walt Disney Company's global volunteer program. The initiative empowers cast members and employees to give back to their communities and care for the planet through hands-on environmental projects — protecting nature, supporting wildlife, and strengthening ecosystems in every region Disney operates.

In Southern California, Disneyland Resort cast members recently joined the Children's Water Education Festival, the nation's largest educational event teaching elementary students about water conservation and environmental stewardship. Alongside local conservation organizations, VoluntEARS ran interactive stations that helped students understand local water issues and the importance of protecting vital resources.

At Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, cast members volunteer each month with the Na Mea Kūpono Learning Center, caring for the loʻi kalo (taro patch). The work honors the land while deepening participants' understanding of Hawaiian cultural farming practices and the connection between land, culture, and sustainability.

Throughout April, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort cast members partnered with St. James' Settlement Jockey Club Upcycling Centre on a series of workshops — including "Upcycle Magic: Costume Reborn," where roughly 120 VoluntEARS transformed retired Disney costumes into Mickey and Minnie Mouse headbands and bag-charm plushes.

"As we celebrate Hong Kong Disneyland Resort's milestone 20th anniversary, service has remained central to who we are. Through Earth Month and Disney VoluntEARS, our Cast Members bring this spirit to life by turning compassion into action and making a positive difference in the communities we call home." — Tim Sypko, managing director, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

For more than four years, The Walt Disney Company ANZ has supported Citizens of the Reef on the Great Reef Census, empowering VoluntEARS to contribute to coral reef conservation. In 2024, the campaign became the largest Virtual Volunteering event in Disney history, with more than 18,000 analyses completed by VoluntEARS from 81 locations. In 2025, Disney's support helped expand the project beyond Australia's Great Barrier Reef for the first time — partnering with Hawaii-based nonprofit Kuleana Coral Restoration so scientists could better understand reef health across the Hawaiian Islands.

Near Walt Disney World, VoluntEARS recently spent a morning with the Florida Trail Association and the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, improving sections of the Florida Trail. The work supports the first of the new Florida Wildlife Corridor trailheads made possible by Disney's $1 million donation in 2025, expanding public access to the state's wild spaces.

Earlier this year, VoluntEARS at Disneyland Paris took part in a bird-observing program, monitoring bird behavior at feeding stations throughout the winter months. Developed by the French National Museum of Natural History through its VIGIE-NATURE initiative, the BirdLab App collects data that helps researchers understand attraction and repulsion behaviors among individual birds and across species.

From beach cleanups to festivals, Shanghai Disney Resort cast members are celebrating Earth Month through community action. VoluntEARS and their families restored Shanghai Binjiang Forest Park, combining cleanup efforts with creative activities — including turning collected waste into "Garbage Fish" art to raise awareness about ocean protection. The resort is also hosting a Celebrate Earth Month Fair where cast members partner with nonprofits on interactive guest activities.

Disney Conservation Impact Every Day

Conservation at Disney isn't limited to volunteer days. Across the company, cast members apply their day-job skills to help protect wildlife — from Imagineers building field equipment to paint-shop teams refreshing research tools.

Engineers from the Disney's Animal Kingdom Sustaining Engineering team have partnered with Disney Conservation and the Animals, Science and Environment animal care teams on sea turtle research near Disney's Vero Beach Resort. Weighing nesting female loggerhead sea turtles is essential for assessing their health — but notoriously difficult on remote beaches at night. Through years of collaboration, the engineers developed and recently field-tested a custom digital "turtle box" scale that produces faster, more accurate data while minimizing disruption to the animals.

Behind the scenes, Disney's Animal Kingdom Paint Shop cast members contribute by refreshing the color-coded stakes used to mark and monitor sea turtle nests along the beach near Disney's Vero Beach Resort. While simple in design, these tools anchor long-term research and species tracking that the Disney Conservation team has led for over 20 years.

The Cast Conservation Opportunity program extends that reach further still, inviting cast members — primarily from the Animals, Science and Environment teams, along with select participants from other areas — to contribute hands-on skills, passion, and curiosity to real-world conservation work.

Celebrating 30 Years of the Disney Conservation Fund

This Earth Month marks the Disney Conservation Fund's 30th anniversary, and Disney is spotlighting 30 biodiversity and environmental sustainability stories in the countdown to Earth Day. For park guests and Disney fans, the message is consistent: the magic depends on a healthy planet, and the cast members who keep the resorts running are the same people tending taro patches, counting coral, and weighing sea turtles when the lights go down.