Tiffany Pearson and her church youth group spent their Saturday volunteering at Thompson Park.
"The reason we came here is because we are proud to be part of Amarillo," said Pearson. "This is our town, we have to take care of it."
They were among many volunteers from our community and the Amarillo Zoo helping clean the lakes shorelines.
"Our lakes are used for both the public enjoyment but also wildlife," said Mike Boley with the Amarillo Zoo. "And migratory birds that use the area and little bits of trash can be hazardous to those animals."
This was the first Thompson Lake clean up hosted by the Amarillo Zoo, but Boley says he wants it to become an ongoing project.
"We'll probably be doing this more often," Boley said. "We're looking at more ways to give people hands on opportunities to do things to help the environment."
The best part is making the park trash free and more enjoyable.
"We know lots of folks who aren't from here look at Amarillo and say it's just so bland," said Pearson. "There are no trees. But we have trees here in Thompson Park and we have a park system that works hard at keeping them clean."
Both she and Boley hope that the next clean up will see even more volunteers coming together in the Panhandle spirit to keep Thompson Park clean and beautiful for all to enjoy.
The Amarillo Zoo will be having a Conservation-Celebration Bringing Back the Wild event Saturday, 21. It will teach the community about the importance of protecting endangered species. If you are interested in learning more you can call the Amarillo Zoo at 381-7911.
