Volunteers turned out in several locations to honor Martin Luther King Junior's call to service in their communities. In north Reno, volunteers combed through the sagebrush Monday conducting a mini bio-blitz at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.
Twelve year-old Geoffrey Grace was peering at dirt, trying to identify small insects. His list included, “Ladybug larvae, some aphids; a moth larva. When I first came out here all I thought was 'dirt, more dirt and even more dirt.' Once I got a closer look I realized there's more stuff living all around us, underneath,” Grace said.
The project was sponsored by the Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps support local parks. Executive Director Nathan Daniel says the survey will help keep the park healthy. "We're putting out transect lines and going along these lines and we're identifying every single plant and animal species we can," Daniel explained.
This bio census brought people together, and for Yvette Grace, who recently moved to Reno from Atlanta, this day of service is a chance to keep her family connected to Martin Luther King Junior's message.
"Martin Luther King Jr. said to have a day on, not a day off. I wanted to do something in the Reno, Sparks community that would help beautify it in some way and keep my kids connected with the overall mission that he had in mind... for his holiday," she said.
Her son Geoffrey recently won an MLK essay contest titled: Why we are Better Together. "If we work together we could get more things done,” Grace explained. “Just like Martin Luther King and all the people in the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. couldn't have done that by himself, he needed help of other people," Grace Said.
The Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation plans to hold this event next year on the MLK National Day of Service. “It'll be interesting to see if that changes over time. Does the community of plants change? Are we seeing more invasive species, less invasive species? Without collecting numbers you don't know,” Daniel explained. He said everyone is invited to look for birds, bugs and wildlife and contribute to Martin Luther King Junior's legacy.
