Parks staff outline spring volunteer events, composting classes and tree giveaways

Diane Sonia, project division manager for Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful, told the Parks and Recreation Commission on April 16 that the division recently partnered with a Girl Scout troop to restore the Sabana Grande patio garden with native, pollinator-focused species.

Sonia said staff also led a backyard composting class at the Loma Colorado Library during the April 6 garden expo. "We had over 20, I wanna say 22 to 24 people participate," she said, and participants could take a backyard composting bin provided at no cost.

Sonia outlined a series of upcoming volunteer and education opportunities: a Backyard Refuge design class on May 4 for participants in earlier sessions, an evening wildlife-and-habitat class May 6 at Loma Colorado Library, and an adapting-your-yard session on May 18. She said roughly 40 people have signed up for the Backyard Refuge session that includes a drive-through tree seedling giveaway immediately after the class.

The division is also working with Hewlett Packard on corporate volunteer efforts. Sonia said HP collected litter-grabbers and supplies to clean its adopted areas and will help staff plant replacement oaks at Havasu Park as part of a New Mexico Clean and Beautiful grant-funded tree project.

Sonia urged residents to register online for the Great American Cleanup (May 4) and other volunteer events; registered participants will receive safety supplies and, while supplies last, neck gaiters and t-shirts.

The report left registration and attendance details and exact tree seedling counts as operational matters to be confirmed through the city's event sign-up pages.