Team Registration For Park Renewal Day Now Open
Decatur Metro | September 24, 2010
Kelly Cheek at Renewal Design Build alerts us that team registration for this year’s Park Renewal Day in Dearborn Park is now open to the kudzu-ripping public! Here are all the details you need…
On Saturday, November 6th, participants will return to Dearborn Park to root out invasive plants for the 3rd annual Park Renewal Day competition. Each year, this joint effort of Renewal Design-Build, the DeKalb County Parks Department and City of Decatur’s Active Living Division, has well over 100 participants – all competing for prize money sponsored by Renewal – clear more than an acre of English ivy and Chinese privet from the park.
Teams will compete for the grand prize of $1,000, while second and third place teams will take home $300 and $200, respectively. Each team’s assigned plot will be scored by County Park experts and local celebrities. Food, music and the awarding of prizes follow the competition.
Any group willing to come together to help the park and raise money is eligible and should register [at www.ParkRenewalDay.com] as soon as possible. Teams in past years have included school organizations, neighborhood associations, and Scout troops. Last year, the Decatur High School Close Up Club used its prize winnings to help fund a spring trip to Gettysburg.
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Somebody should organize a weekly meeting group that cuts kudzu — Decatur Kudzu Cutters. If you cut it a couple of times it will die. You never see kudzu in areas where grass is mowed.
People could map or report places where kudzu is taking over. Organizers would contact land owners and get their permission to cut it. Groups would meet on the designated afternoon and blitz through and cut the kudzu down to its roots. Hand knives are all that is required. Then everyone would go get pizza and beer, (paid for by sponsors?).
If the kudzu comes back it is easier to cut the next time.
Of course if you wanted to get more involved, like park clean up or cutting other types of invasive plants, then that would be up to the general level of enthusiasm.
Maybe Trees Atlanta would serve as an umbrella organization for infrastructure and insurance purposes.
Goats and sheep evidently LOVE to eat kudzu. Can you rent a goat or sheep flock for a day or two? Only problem in a “park” would be their indiscriminate choice of yummies.
This event is a lot of fun. The DHS Close Up club will be participating again. Last year, we won $200. Hope to win more this year but if not, it will be a good experience for the students.
I would suggest to any group that you will have a great time whether you win prizes or not. Maybe the DecMetro groupies could form a team and compete against the InDecatur crowd or the Decatur progressives against the Decatur conservatives (Wait a minute, that would be 18,995 to 5, if I include my family, Cubalibre and Dem, maybe not a fair fight. The DPs would need at least a chance of winning. Now I would add one of those little smiley faces if I could but I’m still clueless on computer cool). Seriously, a great time will be had by all!
A final shout out to Renewal Construction. They sponsor a first class event. The celebration at the end of the event is a great way to end the day.
Way to go, Renewal!