Tennessee State Parks will hold work events at 33 parks across the state this month for Tennessee Promise scholars to fulfill their community service hours. Closest will be Old Stone Fort Park in Manchester.

 “We welcome everyone to these events, and we are excited to be part of the Tennessee Promise program each year,” said Commissioner David Salyers of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). “We have found that many visitors are eager to help maintain our state parks, and this is an excellent opportunity to do that.” 

Activities for the workday at various parks include removing invasive exotic species and reclaiming the old homestead site at Edgar Evins State Park; assisting in the setup, custodial work, and cleanup for the Summer Square Dance at Alvin C. York State Historic Park; trail building and maintenance at Paris Landing State Park; and cleanup along a trail at Chickasaw State Park.

Participants are encouraged to wear appropriate clothing for the work and bring items such as water, snacks, and sunscreen.

Tennessee Promise provides students the chance to attend tuition-free any of the state’s community colleges, colleges of applied technology, or other eligible institutions offering an associate degree program. One of the requirements to maintain eligibility is to complete eight hours of community service.

Old Stone Fort will be doing upkeep. “Join us at Old Stone Fort to aid in the improvement of our park through volunteering,” the park invited. “Projects range from trail upkeep, invasive plant removal, and park cleanup. Volunteering will help both the local environment as well as everyone who enjoys the park from Manchester to the wider world.”

“For our volunteer day for June they specifically like to invite all TN Promise students to come to the park to work towards a portion of their required 8 volunteer hours,” the park added. “This does not mean any other individuals who would like to volunteer are not welcome so please join us as well. For the TN Promise volunteer day, we will be conducting invasive removal on the Enclosure trail. We will meet at the Museum Roof Top from the listed address. Please make sure to wear closed-toed shoes, wear a long sleeve shirt, and bring water to stay hydrated. Be prepared to hike sections of the Enclosure Trail which is a natural dirt path. Please contact the Park Ranger for large groups or inquiries.”