Cumberland Soil And Water Conservation Wants Volunteers For Weed Wrangle

Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District seeking more volunteers to help out with its 3rd annual Weed Wrangle this Saturday morning from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Event Coordinator Janet Dowlen said that the goal is to team up with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to remove invasive plants from the Obed River Park.

“This is a park that is used a lot because it is convenient to everybody,” Dowlen said. “So I feel like if you want to enjoy a park, you should take some stock in it and help clean it up and take care of it in that way.”

Dowlen said that volunteers have worked so diligently that they’ve been able to clear areas in the park enough to get a view of the water. She said that their clean-ups have affected over an acre of land.

“The shrubby things and using mattocks and a tractor with a chain and things like that,” Dowlen said. “We’re really getting down and dirty trying to pull stuff out. But it’s really affected a lot. And there are a  lot of things that have come back, desirable things, which is good to see.”

Dowlen said that this is also a good way to get credit for volunteer hours.

“The Tennesse Promise, the Tennesse Achieves scholarships are some of those they can get credit hours for,” Dowlen said. “Because I know they have to get some of those hours for their scholarships. So that’s definitely some of the folks we like to see come out and help us.”

Dowlen said that if you’re interested in volunteering, you can contact the Soil Conservation Office at 931-484-5442 extension 3.