Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in commemoration of the well-known civil rights activist, is all about giving back to the community and serving others.
Since it was declared a national day of service in 1994, every third Monday in January has been considered a day on, not a day off. This year, it’s more like two days on.
We rounded up 10 service opportunities happening Saturday and Monday in Clark County. They’re all outside, so volunteers should dress for working in the elements.
Given it’s the middle of January, the weather forecast isn’t great, but it could be worse. In Vancouver the National Weather Service is predicting a 50 percent chance of showers Saturday and a high temperature near 53 degrees, and Monday is mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and highs near 48 degrees.
Saturday
• Columbia Springs seeks volunteers to help remove invasive species, maintain trails and prepare the 100-acre site for field trip season, which begins next month. Work starts at 9 a.m. in the Swift Classroom at the nature park at 12008 S.E. Evergreen Highway and goes till noon. Visit https://www.columbiasprings.org/volunteer to sign up to volunteer.
• Join the city of Vancouver in beautifying LeRoy Haagen Memorial Park. Volunteers will mulch a trail, remove invasive plants and pick up litter. This all-ages service project runs 10 a.m. to noon at the park, 13002 N.E. Ninth St. Training, gloves, tools, water and snacks are provided. Visit https://www.cityofvancouver.us/cmo/webform/volunteer-mlk-day-leroy-haagen-park to sign up to volunteer.
• The indoor facilities at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site are closed due to the government shutdown, but the grounds remain open to the public. Volunteers will meet at 10 a.m. at the bandstand on the parade grounds just west of 1501 Evergreen Blvd. and pick up trash around the site until noon, focusing on the area between the fort entrance and Officers Row. Gloves and trash bags are provided. Although a truck will be available to take trash to the West Van Materials Recovery Center, volunteers are also encouraged to take a bag home for curbside pickup. For more information, email Sara Rediske at saladbats@gmail.com.
• Help remove invasive plants and plant native foliage at Whipple Creek Regional Park. Volunteers should meet at 9 a.m. in the parking lot at 17202 N.W. 21st Ave. Hot cocoa, water and snacks are provided. Questions? Contact Karen Llewellyn with Clark County Public Works at 360-397-2285, ext. 1627, or karen.llewellyn@clark.wa.gov.
Monday
• The Watershed Alliance of Southwest Washington will plant trees along Burnt Bridge Creek. Volunteers meet at 8:45 a.m. at Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E. 18th St., and will walk over to the planting site near Andresen Road. Tools and gloves are provided. Call Celina Stilphen at 360-852-9189 for more information or visit https://thewatershedalliance.org/volunteer/ to sign up to volunteer.
• If you’re worried about rain, Clark Public Utilities’ StreamTeam will pot seedlings or cuttings in its native nursery under tents. Training, snacks and tools provided, but bring gloves if you have them. It begins at 9 a.m. and goes till 1 p.m. at the utility, 8600 N.E. 117th Ave. Questions? Call 360-606-6056 or visit https://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/community-environment/environmental-stewardship-programs/.
• The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership will plant native trees to benefit the Gibbons Creek habitat and wildlife at Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. All ages are welcome to the event, which begins at 9 a.m. and goes till about 11:30 a.m. at the refuge, 35001 Lewis and Clark Highway. Besides planting trees, volunteers will help remove invasive plants and build brush pile habitats. Tools, gloves, hot beverages and snacks are provided, but you may want to bring binoculars to see the birds that call this refuge home. Pre-registration is required. Contact Sam Dumont at 503-226-1565, ext. 245 or sdumont@estuarypartnership.org or visit http://www.estuarypartnership.org/event/2018/steigerwald-lake-planting-mlk-day-service to sign up to volunteer.
• Weed, prune and plant at Pacific Community Park’s demonstration gardens. Work begins at 9 a.m. at the east Vancouver park, 1515 N.E. 164th Ave. Tools, glove, warm drinks and snacks will be supplied. Contact ann.maher@clark.wa.gov with Clark County Green Neighbors or call 564-397-7754 for more information.
• From 9:30 a.m. to noon, volunteers will clean the Columbia River shoreline and remove non-native plants. Volunteers meet at the Water Resources Education Center at 4600 S.E. Columbia Way. Call 360-487-7111 or visit www.cityofvancouver.us/watercenter for more details.
• To help restore the tree canopy and improve safety, volunteers will add about 40 trees along West 33rd Street in Vancouver’s Carter Park neighborhood. Meet at the neighborhood’s namesake park at 3300 Columbia St. Volunteers should arrive before 10 a.m. to sign in and have refreshments, and plan to plant trees until 12:30 p.m.
