The MTSU Stormwater Program is joining the Stones River National Battlefield and eight other partners for a Saturday, Sept. 27, cleanup event to improve Old Fort Park in Murfreesboro.

Volunteers are needed for the event, which will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Old Fort Park, located off Old Fort Parkway. The purpose of the cleanup is to remove “invasive exotic plants” and pick up trash in the park, specifically along the Lytle Creek Greenway and at Fortress Rosecrans.

MTSU students are encouraged to volunteer for the event, which provides a great opportunity for students to earn community service hours and/or extra credit in some of their classes.

“Together, we hope to bring more than 100 citizens of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County together for a morning dedicated to properly managing the lands and waterways that are a critical to our quality of life in Murfreesboro and Rutherford County,” according to a release from the National Park Service.

The effort is part of National Public Lands Day, the nation’s largest single-day, hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance public lands. It is sponsored by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation in partnership with Take Pride in America.

“In the process, we will improve the condition of our national and city parks as well as the critical watersheds of Lytle Creek and the Stones River,” the release states.

Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Picnic Pavilion No. 2 in Old Fort Park. Volunteers should bring work gloves and wear long sleeved shirts, work pants, and closed toe shoes.

Lunch will be provided at noon by Walmart and the Friends of Stones River National Battlefield.

To sign-up early or find out more, contact Amanda Sherlin with the MTSU Stormwater Program at 615-904-8575 or call 615-893-9501, or email stri_administration@nps.gov.

 — Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)

What to know

What: National Public Lands Day cleanup at Old Fort Park

When: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27

Where: Meet at Picnic Pavilion No. 2 at Old Fort Park, Murfreesboro

What to Bring: Work boots or closed toe shoes, long-sleeved shirt, work pants, and work gloves