Volunteers needed for Jan. 21 work day at Riverfront Park
Sonoma County Regional Parks is hosting their third annual day of service in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 21 at Riverfront Regional Park.
Every year, Sonoma County Regional Parks (SCRP) asks for community volunteers to assist in small scope projects to remove invasive plants from park areas and helps beautify public use areas.
“We are primarily going to do brush removal, we will be cutting back a number of different species, cutting back the brush to open up views to the lakes and to enhance the user experience in the park,” said Sonoma County Regional Parks Stewardship Coordinator Jen Stanfield.
SCRP is joining thousands of other organization around the country in response to President Barack Obama’s “United We Serve” announcement that began in the summer of 2009.
The day of service will be the first of many workdays open to volunteers at Sonoma County parks. SCRP offers volunteer opportunities year-round installing fencing, painting, and projects that enhance the quality of 45 parks around Sonoma County.
“For us here locally it is important to have people come out because it enables us to do projects that due to staffing shortfalls and budgetary shortfalls we may not necessarily get to, so these projects enhance the park and we couldn’t really do it if we didn’t have the turnout,” said Stanfield.
Over the years, the day of service at Foothill Regional Park attracts more than 40 volunteers and organizers said they hope to have at least that many again this year. This year’s project will focus on removing Himalayan blackberry bushes and clearing areas around the lake view areas on the trail.
“Riverfront Regional Park is a former gravel quarry so the two ponds at one time were used to harvest gravel and when they became parks there was some work done to re-vegetate the sides and put in trails and what we are doing with this project is going out there and trying to maintain the overall esthetics so that people that want to watch wildlife and the birds in the ponds can see them better,” she said.
Volunteers should bring sunscreen, a hat, refillable water bottle and any snacks they might want other than what will be provided. SCRP will provide gloves but recommends that volunteers bring their own if they have a favorite pair.
“They (volunteers) should definitely come ready to work, wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, sturdy shoes, I was out there today and the park is muddy in places so they should wear shoes that can handle low traction situations,” Stanfield said.
The event will be rain or shine, heavy rain cancels. Volunteers are encouraged to pre-register with SCRP at je***********@so***********.org.
Volunteers will meet SCRP organizers in the parking lot at Riverfront Regional Park 7821 Eastside Rd. Healdsburg, at 10 a.m. For those that want to volunteer throughout the season can sign-up on the volunteer email list on the day of service.
