What is the Adopt-A-Park and Island program?
The Primary purpose of this program is to promote partnerships between established community groups or businesses to assist the Parks and Recreation Department maintenance crew with routine maintenance, clean up, and/or beautification of parks, islands, turn-a-rounds, and open space areas creating a beautiful, clean environment for all to enjoy.
Through the use of volunteers designated areas will be spruced up by removing litter and debris, controlling weeds, caring for plants, mulching around trees and plant areas, raking of leaves, identifying hazards, reporting vandalism or planting trees, shrubs, and other approved vegetation.
Who can Adopt-A-Park and Island?
Established groups that are registered with the Commonwealth or approved by the Park Board as a sponsored association or a business licensed in the Commonwealth. Businesses that could adopt can range from landscape companies to restaurants.
Your group or business, if limited in the amount of volunteers, can also contract, at your expense, a licensed landscape professional to perform the work required and approved under the Adopt-A-Park and Island program. You may also donate the funds necessary to maintain the area to the Parks and Recreation Department.
Why Adopt-A-Park and Island?
Often times, park patrons notice the litter left behind by neglectful users and feel angry and frustrated that our natural environment is being treated this way. Many other communities have creative and insightful thoughts on how an area could be made more beautiful. Now you can put these feelings into action. Given the 210 acres of park land and 80 acres of islands and terraces through out town, it’s often challenging to keep up with the tremendous use of our open space areas. Your volunteer efforts can make the difference in achieving the standards we all have for these areas.
Your organization or business will also receive recognition through local media outlets such as our Town Website, Parks and Recreation Department website and approved signage at the adopted parcel of land. Now everyone that passes by your adopted area will know that you care for you community and you’re doing something about it.
Benefits of the Program
Community Involvement
The Adopt-A-Park and Island program provides opportunities for groups to help improve and maintain town parks, trails, and open spaces. As a volunteer you will have a unique opportunity to donate services to the community and enjoy the results of your efforts. Adopt-A-Park and Island program volunteers become stewards of public lands by working to improve park areas in a meaningful way for all to enjoy.
Economic
Your organization or business can help enhance and maintain our public lands through clean-up efforts, tree plantings, weeding, monitoring wildlife, and other projects while assisting the Parks and Recreation Department in making tax dollars stretch farther. The economic benefit could also be seen with more people wanting to live or set up their business in this healthy and beautiful environment.
Environmental
Your volunteer effort and involvement in our parks and town land increases public awareness of the importance of protecting our natural resources, generates pride in our park system and demonstrates your commitment to this community and the environment. The Adopt-A-Park and Island program brings a variety of organizations together with the Parks and Recreation Department to help maintain the appearance of public parks, islands, trails and open space. As an organization or business, you can create a better environment for yourself and your neighbors.
Individual
What better feeling can one have then the feeling of knowing that they make a difference? You can make a difference in the aesthetics of your community, health of the environment and the sense of pride people have in our park system. Volunteering keeps you active and outdoors gaining the many health benefits of an active lifestyle.
Recognition
Adopt-A-Park and Island groups will receive recognition on the Town of Longmeadow website and the Parks and Recreation Department website. The group will also receive recognition in the form of a standardized adoption sign posted at the site that you have agreed to maintain. A certificate of appreciation signed by the Director of Parks can be proudly displayed for all to see. (See “Sign Standards” for description of signage)
Program Policies
1. The Adoption program is open to established groups that are registered with the Commonwealth or approved by the Park Board as a sponsored association or a business licensed in the Commonwealth. Groups can include sports organizations, civic groups, and churches. Businesses that could adopt can range from landscape companies to restaurants and everything in-between.
2. The adopting group must commit to a two-year period of adoption. At the end of the two year period, the group can renew with Parks and Recreation Department approval.
3. The adopting group must enter into a signed agreement with the Town of Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department.
4. Park sites, trails and islands are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
5. Each area is unique and each group has unique skills and needs. For this reason, the Parks and Recreation Department will develop mutually agreeable expectations on a case-by-case basis.
6. Planting flowers, trees and shrubs, painting picnic tables and carpentry projects such as installing and repairing benches must be conducted under the guidelines of the Adopt-A-Park and Island agreement and coordinated with the Parks and Recreation Department.
7. Plants should be drought tolerant and stand up to road salt. A list of plants are included in the appendix.
8. All volunteer or scheduled work must be performed during daylight hours.
9. All volunteers must follow established safety guidelines.
10. Monitoring of the adopted area must be done on a regular basis, usually at least once a week during the warm season and as weather permits in the cold season. Some sites may require additional time commitments.
11. Adopt-A-Park and Island groups must perform organized litter control and/or park beautification on agreed workdays as agreed to remain in good standing in the program.
12. All volunteers under 18 years of age must have responsible adult supervision. No children under the age of 7 will be allowed to participate in any of the Adopt-A-Park and Island activities conducted by the adopting group. Children between the age of 7 to 11 will only be able to pick up paper trash, rake and plant.
13. Supervisors for the Adopt-A-Park and Island group must have a first aid kit and be aware of local emergency services in case of injuries.
14. An adopting group may keep any and all proceeds from any material with recyclable value that is found.
15. The Parks and Recreation Department will provide trash bags and will be responsible for collecting and disposing of the filled bags.
How to Apply
Step One: Select and Submit an Application Form
Once you select a site you want to adopt, let us know by filling out the application form, calling the Parks and Recreation Department at 413.565.4160 or visiting www.lprd.net. Our Parks and Recreation Staff will work with you to identify park needs.
Step Two: Review and Complete the Information Package
Once we confirm the proposed area is available and safe for adoption, we will send you an information package. The package contains a Statement of Commitment, which describes the responsibilities of the Adopter and the Parks and Recreation Department and a Release and Waiver Agreement to be signed by all volunteers participating in the program. Fill out and sign both forms and mail them to the Parks and Recreation Department.
Step Three: Park Board Approval
Once the Park Board approves the adoption and you sign the agreement, you’re group is ready to start. All adoptions are on a first-come, first served basis. Groups will retain first-right-of-refusal for their areas.
Step Four: Organize and Plan your first Cleanup
Organize and plan a date for your first cleanup, then arrange with the Parks and Recreation Department to have cleanup trash bags dropped off. All other supplies and tools must be supplied by the group. Clean up materials should include safety vests, safety glasses, gloves, rakes, shovels and other tools. Use your Participant Record to document the date, the numbers of participants, how many bags of trash were collected and number of hours the group spent on the cleanup. Also make special notes of interest or concern. Return this to the Parks and Recreation Department at the end of every clean up event. The Parks and Recreation Department will arrange to have the trash bags picked up.
Site Renewal
Within 60 days after the term expires, Adopt-A-Park and Island groups must submit a written request to the Parks and Recreation Department to continue with their adoption commitment.
Organizing a Cleanup
Adopt-A-Park and Island Coordinators must contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 413.565.4160, to schedule their clean up.
After the cleanup is scheduled, you should:
• Choose a primary contact person for the group
• Designate a place to meet before cleanup begins to give instruction, review safety procedures and distribute trash bags
• Make sure you have signed waivers from all participants, and if work is outsourced to being done by a contractor a license number and copy of certificate of insurance
• Review safety guidelines with all participants. Stock and bring a first aid kit!
• Determine who is responsible for child participants, and keep them away from dangerous areas
• Invite participants to bring their own rakes and shovels to aid in collection
• Tell participants to report all problems to the
Group Leader
• Tell everyone to return to your designated meeting place at the end of the cleanup to report progress or problems
• Make arrangements for the trash bags to be collected or disposed of properly; if recyclable materials are kept separate, take it home or to the recycling center
Safety Guidelines
All participants should be advised of the following safety recommendations during cleanup efforts:
• Wear sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat for protection
from the sun
• Wear leather work gloves and/or latex gloves at all times
• Wear boots or closed toe shoes
• Drink plenty of water
• Do not work in the streets and use caution working
near streets
• Stay within designated cleanup boundaries
• Have all volunteers sign the waiver before participating If volunteers are minors, the parent or guardian must sign the waiver
• Do not trespass on private property
• Supervise children at all times
• Lift objects with your legs, not with your back
• Tie bags tightly
• Leave pets at home
• Obey all Parks Rules and Regulations
• Beware of bees, poison ivy, poison oak and other irritants. Wear insect repellent
• Do not apply any pesticide or herbicide
• Wash your hands thoroughly when done
• Provide a cellular telephone for the group leader and list a emergency contact numbers
Under no circumstances should you pick up any of the following items. Please alert the group leader and others in the area immediately for these items. The group leader should notify the appropriate authorities if these items are identified.
• Hypodermic needles, medical waste or condoms
• Chemical containers
• Dead animals
• Sharp items (broken glass, nails, etc…)
Accidents
All Adopt-A-Park and Island groups are voluntary and as such are individually responsible for any/all of their own injuries resulting from accidents. For record keeping purposes, groups must report all accidents and injuries with 24 hours to the Parks and Recreation Department. An Accident Report form is included in your information package.
Donations
The Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department welcomes donations as part of the Adopt-A-Park and Island Program. We encourage opportunities for individuals, groups and businesses to choose items off of the Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department wish list or make a financial contribution to purchase the specified items on our purchase list or for park improvements (i.e. playground equipment, mulch, picnic tables, ball field mix, grills, trash receptacles, recycling carts, kiosks, bulletin boards, land restoration, plants, trees, and other facility improvements). We ask that you choose the items from the list to ensure quality, consistency and ease of maintenance of park equipment.
One Day Cleanups
If your group, business or family cannot commit to an adoption but would like to organize a one day cleanup, please contact the Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Department at 413.565.4160.
Sign Standards
One sign will be posted at each adopted location recognizing the group that adopted the Park or Island. The sign will be one panel, white background with black letters. It will be 18" high by 32" wide with a 2" to 3" font size, mounted on a 4 x 4 post, 8" off the ground. The sign will have the Longmeadow Parks and Recreation Logo on the top. The sign will be maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department. Sign layout below:
