About 75 volunteers turned out Saturday to help clear 300 yards of debris including brush and blackberry bushes and 20 yards of garbage off of the shoreline in Ballinger Park in honor of Earth Day.

“I’m excited to see so many dedicated volunteers come out to help at our Earth Day Cleanup. They work very hard to clean up our parks and enhance the image of our city,” said Mayor Pro Tem Laura Sonmore. “It’s an honor and pleasure to provide them with lunch after they complete their projects,” she added.

“We appreciate so many groups and individuals coming out to support Earth Day and helping to transform the former golf course into a passive park and environmental sanctuary for the entire community to enjoy,” said Virginia Olsen, Community Relations Director.

Groups that came out to participate included Creekside Church, Fiji Community Association of Washington, the Alderwood Terrace Rotary, the Eco Club of Mountlake Terrace High School, Mountlake Terrace Garden Club, Mountlake Terrace Recreation Park Advisory Commission and Neighborhood Park Improvement Subcommittee. Additionally, Waste Management Northwest arranged a drop off site for unwanted electronics for recycling.

Displays and information on what people can do to help make their community more sustainable were set up in the Ballinger Park Clubhouse. The Mountlake Terrace City Council served the volunteers lunch to thank them for their service.

The city’s Stormwater Program Manager Mike Shaw and interested volunteers worked on removing invasive non-native plants. Shaw is assembling a volunteer team to remove invasive plants including English Holly, Herb Robert and English Ivy from city parks and open spaces on a monthly schedule. For more information, please contact Mike Shaw at (425) 670-8264 extension 5105 or email mshaw@ci.mlt.wa.us.

For more information about volunteer clean up events or Adopt a Park, call Ken Courtmanch at 425-776-1811 or visit the City’s website at www.cityofmlt.com.