Love Your Park

During winter, when most of our greenery is gone, it is easier to find bits of trash scattered throughout our parks and greenways. Our park rangers and park regulars are teaming up for a day of park love and we hope to count you in! With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, this time is perfect. It’s important to collect as much trash and litter as we can before spring growth emerges. We want to prevent wildlife from ingesting or getting tangled up in trash and plastic. Riverfront Park is home and habitat for a host of birds and animals. Deer browse through the floodplain forest, Great Blue Herons spear fish in the canal and along the Broad River. The Bald Eagles that nest nearby will be preparing for their 2024 hatchlings. Even if you don’t catch a glimpse of them, your efforts will benefit all of them. And- speaking of benefit- your physical and mental health will improve from spending time outdoors volunteering! Studies have shown that exposure to green spaces can encourage exercise and social interaction, improve mindfulness, and decrease stress and anxiety. Reductions in the stress hormone cortisol can occur from as little as 20 minutes outdoors. We will gather at 9 am in the grassy amphitheater at Riverfront Park, 312 Laurel Street, Columbia 29201. We will begin with a safety talk and some warm up stretches before heading out to cover the length of the park. The levee trail is 2 ½ miles, and the lower trail along the north end of the park is 1 mile—so we have a lot of terrain to cover! Register at https://sccolumbiaweb.myvscloud.com/webtrac/web/splash.html?InterfaceParameter=WebTrac We want to be sure to have enough supplies and snacks for everyone. Dress for the forecast (sunscreen and a hat if it’s bright and layers if it’s chilly) and bring gloves if you have them. We will provide trash bags and water.

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