Friends of the Parks and Trails — along with the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey & Washington Counties (CAPRW) — invites our members and friends to pitch in for the City of Saint Paul’s annual Citywide Spring Cleanup event on Earth Day: Saturday, April 20, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Together, our organizations are the site hosts at Eastside Heritage Park, 735 Phalen Boulevard, for this 38th year of keeping our city spruced up and trash-free. “The trash problem goes from this park all the way up Phalen Boulevard toward Johnson Parkway, by Lake Phalen and onward to the Bruce Vento Regional Trail,” says Friends of the Parks board member and longtime parks volunteer Kathy Sidles.
The city makes your participation easy, providing plastic gloves as well as bags for picking up both trash and recycling; we can’t guarantee having enough trash pickers on hand, so bring your own if you want to use one! Click here to sign up in advance.
Our two organizations will provide beverages and light snacks. We’ll also spend time at the beginning of the event introducing ourselves to one another, learning about the history of Eastside Heritage Park — and building community. Given that parking may be limited, and to honor Earth Day, we are encouraging participants to ride their bikes or ride Metro Transit: Route 64 D, H or N on Payne Avenue; Route 61 or Route 74 G or S on Arcade Street.
- The site has no bike racks. The people staffing tables can watch any unlocked bikes.
- One portable toilet will be available on site, thanks to the city.
Questions? Contact us via email — amy@friendsoftheparks.org. We will be there on Saturday, August 20, come rain or shine. Please be prepared to sign a liability waiver, which the City of Saint Paul requires for parks volunteers.
Another option for helping out!
If you prefer to do your cleanup work at Battle Creek Regional Park, join Friends of the Parks and Trails board member Leslie Tunstall at the Battle Creek Recreation Center (front entrance), 75 Winthrop St. S., St. Paul. She’ll be distributing bags, gloves and snacks to keep you going, starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 20.
About Friends of the Parks and Trails
Founded in 1985, our vision is to support and promote the creation, preservation and revitalization of the parks and trails systems of St. Paul and Ramsey County for the benefit of current and future generations. Our core values include collaboration and partnership, along with equity and inclusion.
About the Community Action Partnership
Our mission is to eliminate poverty, offer support, and deconstruct the systems that cause and perpetuate economic disparities for people in our community. CAPRW programs include Energy Assistance, Energy Conservation, Head Start, Food Support and Employment Services.
Photos by St. Paul-area blogger and Friends of the Parks and Trails board member Wolfie Browender