Upcoming events at McCormick Park and Nob Hill

We wanted to let you know about two local cleanup events, both of which are tailored towards the entire family.

On Wednesday the 23rd (tomorrow), there will be a pollution prevention event at 10am at McCormick Park, which will include booths by various agencies, presentations, and a litter cleanup at Milton Creek. Here is the city’s announcement:

The City of St. Helens invites the St. Helens community to an educational and hands-on pollution prevention event at McCormick Park on Wednesday, August 23, 2023, from 10 a.m. to noon. Pollution Prevention at McCormick Park is a family-friendly event that will teach the importance of keeping mercury and other pollutants out of our waterways and provide attendees with an opportunity to put their new knowledge to the test with a cleanup activity in the park.

This event is hosted by the City of St. Helens with assistance from the Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District, Scappoose Bay Watershed Council, Columbia County OSU Extension Office, and Hudson Garbage Service. Agencies will give brief presentations which include topics such as pollution prevention, conservation of native plant species, best practices to prevent polluting local waterways, and environmentally friendly approaches to agriculture, small farms, and homegrown horticulture.

Looking forward a bit further, on Saturday, September 9, the SWBC and Friends of Nob Hill are having a short work day at Nob Hill. As I’ve written before, Nob Hill work parties are a great time outdoors with whatever level of physical activity you’re comfortable with and great conversation with interesting people.

Scappoose Bay Watershed Council and Friends of Nob Hill Nature Park invite you to join a new volunteer work day on Saturday, September 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. Come help pull ivy, blackberry, and other weeds. Help put in native sedges and rushes along the Fifth Street Right of Way trail.

Pre-registration is requested by Friday, September 8 by calling Scappoose Bay Watershed Council at 503-397-7904. Or send an e-mail to: info@scappoosebay-wc.org. We look forward to seeing you!

I encourage taking the time to connect in our natural spaces. Time in nature is especially important for children, but we all need to get out more and it’s fun to do it with other people while also being productive for a good cause.