If there's something Austinites almost universally care about, it's the city's parks. A twice-annual volunteer day gives locals a chance to take responsibility for cleaning them up, with thank-you perks from local businesses. The next It's My Park Day will take place Saturday, March 1.
Volunteers can sign up to work at 88 parks across the city on that day. Available projects are mostly evenly spread around the city, with a slightly denser concentration around the downtown area. Well-known spots requesting help include the Austin Nature & Science Center, the Boggy Creek Greenbelt, and the Spyglass Trailhead.
If choosing a job is more appealing than choosing a location, Austinites still have plenty to work with. Projects include trash pickup, nature play mulching, invasive species removal, and even "brainstorming for future parks" according to one of the listings.
Some initiatives are already full, but others have as many as 80 open spaces, so it shouldn't be hard to get into a group if volunteers can be flexible.
Those who are feeling indecisive can opt in for the IMPD Park Picker, which assigns jobs according to need. Some jobs just get more attention than others, so the picker aims to even things out.
Some of the events include additional fun, like ice cream trucks, Zumba classes, and live music.
Pre-registered volunteers will get an IMPD T-shirt and sticker for discounts and freebies after their shifts. Participating businesses include:
- Brew & Brew
- Cosmic Coffee + Beer
- Zilker Brewing Co.
- Easy Tiger
- Rosen's Bagel Company
- Spokesman Coffee
"The impact of It's My Park Day extends well beyond a Saturday morning in the park," said CEO of Austin Parks Foundation Colin Wallis in a press release. "This community-led day of service is an integral part of both our city's collective commitment to public green spaces and our organization's dedication to supporting parks in every district."
More than 20 years into this practice, volunteers are having a big impact on the spaces around them.
"Last fall, more than 3,000 volunteers removed 34,000 pounds of trash and spread 713 cubic yards of mulch," said Barry Rivera, senior programs manager of Austin Parks Foundation. "We are grateful to everyone who takes part in the event — from project leaders and volunteers to our giveback partners.”
