City of Akron Celebrates Public Space with Akron Parks Week Starting October 3
City of Akron Press Release
From the desk of Ellen Lander Nischt
Published: 09-28-2020
Akron, Ohio, September 28, 2020 – The City of Akron, in partnership with the Akron Parks Collaborative, is hosting its annual Akron Parks Week to celebrate, improve, and utilize Akron’s public spaces—and this year, the community will be celebrating with two socially-distanced tree planting events.
“Clean, green, and accessible public spaces are essential to strong neighborhoods and a healthy quality of life,” shared Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “The challenges of 2020 have further demonstrated the essential value of our parks and public spaces within our neighborhoods. Each Akron family deserves access to healthy, vibrant parks in which to play, reflect, and enjoy the natural world. I look forward to celebrating Akron Parks Week this October, and investing in our parks together during this year’s socially-distanced events.”
Akron Parks Week—beginning on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020 will focus on planting native trees in two neighborhood parks to help add to Akron’s tree canopy. “A healthy, robust urban tree canopy provides numerous community benefits, including removing pollutants and carbon from the air, reducing peak stormwater flows, enhancing property values through neighborhood beautification, providing wildlife habitat, reducing summer peak temperatures, and improving social ties among neighbors as well as adding to the overall sense of safety in a community,” Deputy Mayor for Integrated Development James Hardy noted.
Sponsored by The Davey Tree Expert Company, 2020 Akron Parks Week will feature two volunteer events, including:
- Tree planting at Erie Island on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with options for small groups and individuals. Erie Island is located at 1532 Peckham St., Akron, OH 44320. Spots are also limited and registration information may be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parks-week-tree-planting-at-erie-island-tickets-121027519569
- Tree planting at Joy Park on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with options for small groups and individuals. Joy Park is located at 825 Fuller St., Akron, OH 44306. Spots are limited and registration information may be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parks-week-tree-planting-at-joy-park-tickets-121017862685
Volunteers are asked to register for a shift and select the number of people in the volunteer group. Please note that all groups must have 10 people or less. As a health precaution during COVID-19, volunteers are being asked to bring their own pair of work gloves, shovel, and garden rake. Volunteers without access to those items should email Recreation Supervisor, Greg Nyburg at [email protected] to request access to supplies.
Volunteers will receive a free Akron Parks Week t-shirt and a sapling for personal planting, on a first-come-first-serve basis.
For residents not able to participate in the outdoor planting events, there will be saplings for personal planting available while supplies last at Joy Park or Erie Island Park during those planting times.
According to Akron Parks Collaborative Director Bridget Ambrisco, “We are thrilled to help support our community with the addition of native tree species to two vital neighborhood parks. And we thank Davey Tree Expert Company for their support and leadership towards healthy and vibrant public spaces.”
For more information or to sign up to volunteer, please visit AkronParks.org.
For further information, contact:
Ellen Lander Nischt
Press Secretary
Phone: 330-375-2325
E-mail: [email protected]
