Earth Day was first celebrated in 1970 as a way to support environmental protection in the US. Now, after 39 years, Earth Day is celebrated worldwide with events coordinated to focus on fixing environmental issues across 194 different countries.

On April 13th, the Friends of Metro Parks coordinated a cleanup at Scioto Grove Metro Park. We started at the canoe access point and worked our way down the REI river trail, removing plastic bags, cans, bottles, a toolbox, styrofoam, a piece of a swingset, and a small plastic bike, in addition to a lot of other litter from the banks along the river. When it rains, or when snow melts, the trash from all over Columbus is washed down the river and ends up at Scioto Grove Metro Park. Many thanks to those who came to help clean up this trail!

The Friends of Metro Parks were also lucky enough to host an event on April 26th at Highbanks Metro Park with the help from a corporate group looking to do their part! The volunteers donned work gloves and braved the drizzly cold to help prepare the park for spring by weeding and mulching the beds at the Northern and Mansion shelter houses. Volunteers were also instrumental in a honeysuckle and garlic mustard removal project that filled two Metro Parks trucks and cleared the under story of all the invasive plants.

We are very thankful for these volunteers and hope to continue a partnership with them in the future. Many hands make light work, and these sorts of projects save the park employees a lot of time that they can instead spend on making our parks amazing!

If you are interested in coordinating a cleanup or a project, reach out to friends@metroparks.net to set up details and help out the parks for Earth Day!