About 100 volunteers turned out in near perfect weather to help clear 120 yards of debris, brush and blackberry bushes in Terrace Ridge Park in honor of Earth Day.

The Mountlake Terrace Garden Club pitched in by planting over 30 landscape shrubs at the Ballinger Lake Golf Course parking lot. Additionally, Waste Management Northwest was on hand to pick up a dumpster load of unwanted electronics for recycling.

These hard-working volunteers also helped spread 15 yards of bark, planted five dogwood trees, cleaned and scrubbed play equipment and painted all of the park’s picnic tables and benches.

“I’m impressed by all of the hard work these dedicated volunteers give to our community. They accomplished so much in a very short amount of time to enhance the image of our city,” said Mayor Jerry Smith. “It’s an honor and pleasure to provide them with lunch after they complete their projects,” he added.

One volunteer remarked, “I didn’t think there was any way possible that we could remove all of those blackberry bushes in a half day, but we did.”

“We have families that return every year to work on the Volunteer Clean Up,” said Virginia Olsen, the City’s Community Relations Director. “It’s amazing to watch the kids grow up and mature into our future leaders.”

Groups that came out to participate included the Calvary Chapel Lynnwood, Creekside Church, Fiji Community Association of Washington, Mountlake Terrace Ward of the LDS Church, Mountlake Terrace Garden Club, Mountlake Terrace Recreation Park Advisory Commission and Neighborhood Park Improvement Subcommittee.

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

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.