Park Seeks Volunteers To Help Clear Invasive Grapevine
By Space Coast Daily // September 29, 2012
National Public Lands Day Event
BREVARD COUNTY • ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA – Today more than 180,000 volunteers, including those at Riverwalk – A Family Park will be visiting their favorite parks, beaches, wildlife preserves, or forests and chip in to help improve these treasured places.
They’ll be taking part in National Public Lands Day, the largest, single-day volunteer event for public lands in our country.
This year marks the 19th annual National Public Lands Day, an event that brings together thousands of volunteers from coast to coast to improve and restore the lands and facilities that Americans use for recreation, education, exercise and enjoyment.
Last year, more than 170,000 Americans participated at more than 2,000 sites in all 50 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.
This year’s events are focused on a renewed national commitment to supporting public lands, spending time outdoors, being more active, and fighting childhood obesity. As part of this effort, National Public Lands Day is supporting both the Let’s Move Outside! and Youth in the Great Outdoors initiatives. This event is a way to highlight these federal initiatives in the community.
Brevard County Parks & Recreation employees and public volunteers will be assisting the staff at Riverwalk: A Family Park to help clear out invasive grapevine that is choking out the other plants within the 6.37 acre nature preserve.
Volunteers can check in at Riverwalk: A Family Park at 5355 U.S. Highway 1 in Rockledge, between 9 a.m to 2 p.m. to participate.
They will need to wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. Work gloves, long sleeves and sunscreen are also recommended. A limited number of shears will be available to use, though volunteers are encourage to bring additional ones if they have them. Bottled water will be provided.
Eight federal agencies will participate in NLPD, along with more than 250 state, county, and city partners and a host of nonprofit groups, including the Boy Scouts of America, The Girl Scouts of the USA, Student Conservation Association and The Corps Network. Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. is the event’s national corporate sponsor for the 13th consecutive year. Northrop Grumman has joined as a contributing sponsor again for the third year. The National Environmental Education Foundation coordinates National Public Lands Day.
For more information about the event, call the Riverwalk Nature Center at 321-433-4490 or send an email to riverwalk@brevardparks.com.
