A community park cleanup is a great way to beautify the neighborhood and improve the environment. Whether it’s picking up litter, removing weeds, planting flowers or cleaning vandalized walls, a park cleanup can change the entire look of your town. Moreover, all that hard work provides a clean area for the community to enjoy and use for recreational activities. Read on to learn how to organize a community park cleanup.
What Are Park Cleanups?
Volunteers join forces to repair, clean and enhance public areas such as parks and beaches. Oftentimes, these spaces are misused, vandalized or neglected. Volunteers can even be split into groups to tackle tasks faster. Park cleanups can reduce crime and make public spaces safer. Additionally, they can help promote family bonding and teach children to give back to their community.
Select a Location
Find a green space that needs some love and care, such as a local park, beach, schoolyard, etc. Volunteers should be able to clean the area within a few hours or one day. Additionally, gather the supplies you will need for the cleanup. This may include trash bags, work gloves, grabber tools, recycling bags and more. You may even be able to use rented or borrowed supplies. It’s also a good idea to find out if a permit is needed before you select a date for your project.
When it comes to choosing a time, consider selecting early morning hours. For example, a park cleanup can start at 8 a.m. and end at noon, as this is usually when the day begins to get hot.
Recruit Volunteers
Enlist your community, including seniors and children, to help tidy up green spaces. Not only will volunteers help beautify the area, but they can also socialize and get some exercise. You can rally eco-conscious citizens by posting advertisements on social media as well as flyers around the neighborhood. You can even help spread the word by making a Facebook event or contacting your local newspaper. Be sure to include the location, time and date of the event.
Contact Local Vendors
Local vendors may want to participate in the community park cleanup. Ask if they would like to sponsor the event. For example, they can provide food, snacks and drinks for a certain amount of trash that’s collected. They’ll even get free advertisement out of it.
For more tips on how to organize a community park cleanup, see the accompanying resource.
Infographic created by Sweep-All, a lawn sweeper manufacturer
