This news item expired on Saturday, April 22, 2023 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
What better way to celebrate Earth Day than to help Buncombe County beautify its parks? The 2023 Earth Day cleanup is a volunteer day for community members, schools, clubs, organizations, businesses, etc to engage in a hands-on way to clean up various parks throughout Buncombe County in preparation for increased use as warm weather amps up. This will include Lake Julian Park, Charles D Owen Park, Buncombe County Sports Park, Ledges Whitewater Park, and Alexander River Park.
The event is Saturday, April 22 (Earth Day) from 9 a.m.-noon. The tasks volunteers can help with include litter pickup and landscaping. The litter pickup would include cleaning up trash and debris from along roadways, walking paths, entrances to parks, and wooded areas. The landscaping opportunities include:
- Trimming limbs and shrubs
- Planting flower plugs and other small plants and bushes along buildings and picnic shelters, park entrances, in garden areas and on embankments
- Rejuvenating garden areas with wildflower seeds and plugs, and watering plants, clearing brush
- Removing fallen limbs, overgrowth from pathways planted areas,
- Removing invasive species from choking out native species in some areas.
Volunteer groups are limited in capacity by location and volunteers can choose which park and task they would like to be involved with. Volunteers will be provided materials such as gloves, litter pickers, trash bags, loppers, shovels, shears, watering cans, seedlings, bulbs, shrubs, flowers, safety vests, etc. Registration is available on Simpletix and is set to be active March 15-April 15.