A wet cleanup
Durling Park volunteers pick up trash despite rain
Rachel, Logan and Justin James pick up trash in the playground area. Photo by EMILY CANNING-DEAN
Preston Turner picks trash off the ground. Photo by EMILY CANNING-DEAN
Barb James cleans up inside the pavilion. Photo by EMILY CANNING-DEAN
WADSWORTH – The falling rain and threat of thunderstorms April 29 didn’t stop a determined group of volunteers who had a goal of cleaning up Durling Park.
“I’m pretty impressed with the number of people who showed up today considering the rain and the threat of storms,” said Justin James, of Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
For the last five years, Friends of Wadsworth Trails has organized a park cleanup, choosing a different Wadsworth park each year. James said this effort is in conjunction with the international “Cache In Trash Out,” an initiative supported by the geocaching community since 2002.
James said this was the first year volunteers from the organization worked together to clean up Durling Park.
“From what we learned, volunteers from the Wadsworth Democrats were here the weekend before doing some cleanup further down in the valley,” James said. “But there is always trash to pick up.”
After five years of park cleanup, James said it is often small bits of trash, such as cigarette butts, that are the biggest problem.
“You see a lot of smaller trash like that and it ends up getting ground into the pavement,” he said.
Besides the environmental benefit, James said he thinks these events help to raise awareness about the city’s parks.
“The first year we were at Holmesbrook Park and we had some people tell us they didn’t even know the park existed,” he said.
James said the organization is always happy to see more people get involved. He said anyone looking for more information should check out the group’s website, www.fowt.org, or the Friends of Wadsworth Trails Facebook page.
“You can also check those pages for trail updates,” James said of the 2-mile trail the city is planning to construct later this year on the south end of Wadsworth.
Once it is constructed, James said the group plans to organize some activities revolving around the trail including trash pickup and their annual geocaching program.
“This year, the geocaching will be in the parks, but we are hoping next year it will be themed around the trail,” he said.
James said the organization should have more information about the annual geocaching program in the near future. He said the program is expected to begin in June.
“Normally, we announce it around now and it starts in May, but we have found that by June the foliage is more filled in which is better for geocaching,” he said.
“I’m pretty impressed with the number of people who showed up today considering the rain and the threat of storms,” said Justin James, of Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
For the last five years, Friends of Wadsworth Trails has organized a park cleanup, choosing a different Wadsworth park each year. James said this effort is in conjunction with the international “Cache In Trash Out,” an initiative supported by the geocaching community since 2002.
James said this was the first year volunteers from the organization worked together to clean up Durling Park.
“From what we learned, volunteers from the Wadsworth Democrats were here the weekend before doing some cleanup further down in the valley,” James said. “But there is always trash to pick up.”
After five years of park cleanup, James said it is often small bits of trash, such as cigarette butts, that are the biggest problem.
“You see a lot of smaller trash like that and it ends up getting ground into the pavement,” he said.
Besides the environmental benefit, James said he thinks these events help to raise awareness about the city’s parks.
“The first year we were at Holmesbrook Park and we had some people tell us they didn’t even know the park existed,” he said.
James said the organization is always happy to see more people get involved. He said anyone looking for more information should check out the group’s website, www.fowt.org, or the Friends of Wadsworth Trails Facebook page.
“You can also check those pages for trail updates,” James said of the 2-mile trail the city is planning to construct later this year on the south end of Wadsworth.
Once it is constructed, James said the group plans to organize some activities revolving around the trail including trash pickup and their annual geocaching program.
“This year, the geocaching will be in the parks, but we are hoping next year it will be themed around the trail,” he said.
James said the organization should have more information about the annual geocaching program in the near future. He said the program is expected to begin in June.
“Normally, we announce it around now and it starts in May, but we have found that by June the foliage is more filled in which is better for geocaching,” he said.
