The John Chestnut Senior Park in Tarpon Springs is about to undergo a little “spring cleaning.”
The Pinellas County Parks & Recreation Department received a $4,083 grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s 2006 Community Education Grant Program to help fund their “Perk Up A Park/Save a Day for the Bay” project on May 13. The grant funding comes from the District’s Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board, which includes Pinellas County and a portion of Pasco County. The Basin Board funds projects intended to motivate communities to get involved in water protection through various activities and educational formats.
Volunteers will remove invasive exotic plants, replant the area with native vegetation and install interpretive signage at the park. The signage will focus on the importance of watersheds and the impacts of invasive species on natural systems. It will also encourage responsible stewardship of natural communities and water resources. Each year approximately 870,000 people visit John Chestnut Senior Park.
This project is an expansion of the county’s previous efforts.
Volunteers who participate will have the opportunity to take home educational literature and participate in a water conservation pledge. Lunch will be available for pre-registered volunteers; volunteers must sign up in advance and be at least 13 years old. For more information about how you can participate, please contact Debbie Chayet, Pinellas County grants specialist, at (727) 464-5111.