Volunteers Honored at Union County Adopt-a-Park Ceremony

More than 1,000 people volunteered and contributed more than 5,500 hours to Union County parks last year as a part of the county’s Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Trail volunteers.

The more than 1,000 volunteers for the Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Trail helped picking up litter, planting trees and shrubs, clearing fallen trees from walking paths, removing invasive species and more in 2014, according to Union County. The volunteers were recently honored for their contributions at the eighth annual Union County Adopt-a-Park/Adopt-a-Trail award ceremony and dinner.

“Whether you volunteer for a few hours or make a long term commitment, the Freeholder Board values each and every one who donates their time to help make our parks more pleasant for all to enjoy,” Freeholder Chairman Mohamed S. Jalloh said in a release. “Every little bit counts when it comes to conserving the unique legacy of our County parks, and together you all make a big difference.”

The 2014 accomplishments included:

• 20 school, scout and corporate groups helped to maintain and beautify trails and parks.
• 1051 volunteers spent 5,501 total hours working in County parks.
• 52 Adopt-A-Trail stewards worked on trail maintenance and monitoring. They spread gravel, woodchips, installed erosion control measures, removed invasive species, picked up litter, repaired and replaced fencing, planted native trees, shrubs and other vegetation, removed graffiti and performed many other tasks.
• The specially trained Adopt-a-Trail Chainsaw Crew removed 160 fallen trees in Watchung Reservation and other parks.
• Groups that volunteered more than once in 2014 included: Kean University Center for Service and Leadership, Kean University School of Environmental & Sustainability Sciences, Merck, Haitian Flag Day Committee

To join Adopt-a-Park or Adopt-a-Trail, call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation, 908-789-3683, or visit online at ucnj.org.

(Photo courtesy of the County of Union)