Event to be held at Shamrock Park and Nature Center in Venice
On Saturday, Sept. 26, at Shamrock Park and Nature Center, the Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department (PRNR) staff is inviting the members of the community to engage in volunteer efforts “and enjoy family-friendly nature activities.”
This event, which will take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., will be in celebration of National Public Lands Day and Take a Child Outside Week, a county news release says.
The park is located at 3900 Shamrock Drive in Venice.
Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to join PRNR staff for such activities as “pulling invasive grass, spreading mulch and cleaning signs around the park,” the release notes. “Registration is required,” it points out. Interested volunteers may register online.
Volunteers are encouraged to bring hand pruners, work gloves, hats, sunglasses, refillable water bottles, bug spray and sunscreen, the release notes. “Closed-toe shoes, such as boots or sneakers, are recommended,” it adds.
After the volunteer event, the release continues, families and individuals of all ages are invited to join staff members with the University of Florida/Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Sarasota County program from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for Take a Child Outside Week activities. The latter will include “a free Agents of Discovery mission, a wildlife education table, a family-friendly hike and a bioblitz to help observe and identify plants and animals in the park,” the release says.
“National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands,” the release points out. It is held each year on the fourth Saturday in September. This year’s theme, Caring for Our Shared America, “encourages communities to value the public lands where people gather, connect and create lasting memories,” the release adds.
“Caring for our shared America starts right here in our own community,” said Shawn Yeager, director of the Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department, in the release. “Every volunteer who lends a hand to restore and strengthen our lands is making a difference in the place we live, work and play,” he added.
“Take a Child Outside Week, celebrated Sept. 24-30, encourages children and families to spend time outdoors and connect with nature,” the release also notes.
More information about the event is available online and on the Facebook event page.
For more information about National Public Lands Day or other park volunteer opportunities, visit SarasotaCountyParks.com, or call 311 or 941-861-5000.
To learn more about Agents of Discovery missions, visit SarasotaCountyParks.com/AOD.
To learn more about UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County and other opportunities to connect with nature, visit sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasota.