Anacostia Park service event draws over 400 volunteers
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) January 19, 2015 — US Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis joined more than 400 Student Conservation Association volunteers at Anacostia Park in Washington, DC on Monday, Jan. 19, to commemorate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
In partnership with AmeriCorps, participants – including students from all levels throughout the District – removed thousands of destructive invasive plants and over half a ton of debris from some the region’s most important parklands.
“There can be no more meaningful tribute to Doctor King – a man who devoted his life to building community and serving others – than joining together in service,” says SCA’s Matyas. “Our actions at Anacostia have protected this vital local resource and ring in harmony with Doctor King’s legacy.”
In addition to Director Jarvis, US General Services Administration Administrator Dan Tangherlini and several members of his staff joined the SCA volunteers, as did employees from USAID, USDA Foreign Agriculture Service Junior Professionals, AmeriCorps members, and individuals from Capital Partners for Education, Catholic and Trinity Washington Universities, as well as various DC public and private school groups, local businesses, and non-profit partners.
Located near Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Southeast DC, Anacostia Park encompasses over 1,200 acres and acts as an urban flood plain, wildlife habitat, and a popular community recreation spot.
About the National Park Service
More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 405 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebookwww.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
The National Park Service is working to make Anacostia Park a signature urban park that improves people’s lives and protects the quality and resiliency of the Anacostia River ecosystem. The park provides inspirational natural spaces easily accessible to area residents and visitors and offers a wide range of recreational and educational opportunities. To learn more about Anacostia Park visit www.nps.gov/anac.