Keep Fishers Beautiful is set for Oct. 1-8, with a week of activities ranging from city recycling day to Nickel Plate Trail planting to the Compost Tumbler and Rain Barrel Program. KFB is a celebration of “volunteerism and sustainability” for residents of all ages, according to city officials.
“Keep Fishers Beautiful is celebrated twice a year—in April during National Sustainability Month, and in early October,’ said Stephanie Perry, City of Fishers assistant director of community and public relations. “Our spring celebration is larger and typically a month long, while our fall celebration is typically the first week of October.”
The city works with the Parks and Dept. of Public Works to identify needs around the city, according to Perry.
“Needs are typically seasonal. For example, during our spring celebration we might be mulching, planting, and picking invasive plants that are beginning to pop up in our parks,” Perry said. “While in fall we are prepping our park properties, like the Fishers AgriPark, for the end of the season. We offer the City Recycling Day event both in the spring and fall.”
Sarah Sandquist, City of Fishers director of Parks & Recreation, said her department tries to provide a “variety of opportunities for people to be involved in a way that matches their interests and skills.”
“This can range from removing invasives from parks to trash pick-up, to constructing fences and other infrastructure,” Sandquist said. “Keep Fishers Beautiful amplifies the amazing parks and spaces we have within the city and the importance of maintaining them so they can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.”
Sandquist said community involvement is an important part of the Keep Fishers Beautiful initiative.
“Even though this is only a weeklong celebration, we rely on volunteers throughout the year to maintain our spaces and provide their time and talent to ensure our special events and programming go off without a hitch,” she said. “If able, we would celebrate volunteerism every day.”
Volunteers can show up to any of the opportunities without signing up in advance. However, Sandquist said it helps for planning purposes to pre-register. The largest opportunities are at the Geist Waterfront Park and Fishers AgriPark.
To learn more, register for opportunities, take the #VolunteerFishers pledge, and read blog posts about ways the Fishers community is giving back and practicing sustainability, visit ThisIsFishers.com/KFB, and follow the celebration on social media at #KeepFishersBeautiful.
