Volunteers help keep nature beautiful

Volunteers at National Public Lands Day, had their work cut out for them Saturday morning, but were given no better day to do it.

It turned out to be the perfect day for outdoor work - it was sunny, mild and breezy, but cool enough to wear pants for protection against ticks and poison ivy.

National Public Lands Day is a day that focuses on stewardship through providing care and maintenance for surrounding natural public areas.

Blue Springs Lake at Jackson County's Fleming Park was the site for this year's event.

Throughout the summer season the park takes some abuse from recreational visitors. Organizations and volunteers for the event help the public areas we love stay healthy and beautiful.

Heartland Tree Alliance (HTA), Bridging the Gap, Keep Kansas City Beautiful, Kansas City Wildlands and Jackson County Parks and Recreation banded together to make the event possible. The 102 volunteers who signed up made the event happen.

The day's activities began with registration, donuts and coffee. The event kicked off at 9 a.m.

The volunteers were split into three groups based upon the position they signed up for and then carpooled or bused to their prospective clean up sites.

Duties included tree care, litter clean up and honeysuckle removal.

Volunteers were provided with National Public Lands Day t-shirts, gloves and tools.

"We're out here to help Jackson County so their trees don't die," Bill Grotts, of HTA, said.

Grotts said 100 trees were in need of some light pruning so they don't invade other trees that their species will kill.

He said stakes and guide wires needed to be removed from some of the trees as well - the wires had been cutting into the trees, which can restrict their vascular system.

Grotts said his team had also been pulling weeds at the base of trees so a lawnmower wouldn't need to get close enough to nick the trunks.

"We're hoping to keep them healthy," Grotts said.

Molly Clubine and Shauna Horgan of Blue Springs, Mo. were a part of the HTA team. It was their first time volunteering for HTA, but Clubine's second time volunteering for National Public Lands Day.

"It feels good," Clubine said. "The earth gives to you and you give back."

Clubine said she normally helps get rid of invasive honeysuckle or with trash removal but she wanted to try something new and help in any way she could.

"We need to get people involved and help them to picture and understand the importance and impact of it," she said.

Horgan was just as happy to help with tree care.

"We are pretty much saving them, they've been strangled," she said.

Horgan said she wanted to help a local project. She was glad she signed up and felt they had accomplished a lot.

One clean up crew who made their way around part of the lake collecting litter, ridded the area of five bags of trash that had been dumped on the land.

National Public Lands Day accomplished its objective and the day was a beautiful success.

kkates@unews.com