MLK Day of Service Brings Roseburg Together for River Cleanup and Invasive Species Removal

Watch the report below!

On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Roseburg residents did not just take the day off. They showed up.

Dozens of volunteers gathered at Stewart Park for a hands-on Day of Service dedicated to restoring the parks and waterways that connect the community to the Umpqua River. The annual River Restoration, Cleanup, and Invasive Species Removal event was organized by Umpqua Watersheds, in partnership with the City of Roseburg Parks and Recreation Department and Thrive Umpqua.

This year’s work stretched across multiple locations, with crews removing trash, pulling invasive plants, and installing educational signage designed to help people learn more about the natural environment around them.

And this was not a “stand around and take pictures” kind of volunteer day.

It was real work, real effort, and real pride in the place people call home.On Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Roseburg residents did not just take the day off. They showed up.

Dozens of volunteers gathered at Stewart Park for a hands-on Day of Service dedicated to restoring the parks and waterways that connect the community to the Umpqua River. The annual River Restoration, Cleanup, and Invasive Species Removal event was organized by Umpqua Watersheds, in partnership with the City of Roseburg Parks and Recreation Department and Thrive Umpqua.

This year’s work stretched across multiple locations, with crews removing trash, pulling invasive plants, and installing educational signage designed to help people learn more about the natural environment around them.

And this was not a “stand around and take pictures” kind of volunteer day.

It was real work, real effort, and real pride in the place people call home.

A Morning at Stewart Park: Check-In, Snacks, and a Reminder of Why It Matters

The day began at 9:00 a.m. at the Stewart Park Pavilion, where volunteers checked in, grabbed snacks, and listened to a short welcome and safety briefing before being assigned to work areas.

The message from organizers was simple. This day is about taking ownership of the community.

“Why we’re here is to show responsibility for this wonderful community we live in. With freedom comes responsibility.”

That theme set the tone for everything that followed: service, teamwork, and people doing what needed to be done, not because anyone was watching, but because it matters.

Volunteers Spread Out Across Roseburg to Restore Parks and River Corridors

After the briefing, groups split up and headed to work sites across the city. This year’s effort focused on parks and public spaces connected to the Umpqua River corridor, areas that people use every day to walk, play, gather, and slow down for a minute.

Crews worked in multiple areas, including:

Charles Gardiner Park

Volunteers worked on invasive species removal and litter cleanup, targeting plants that spread quickly and crowd out native vegetation.

Stewart Park to the Duck Pond Area

This stretch focused heavily on trash pickup along walking paths and general cleanup in one of Roseburg’s most-used community spaces.

Eastwood Nature Park

At Eastwood, the work included invasive removal, restoration efforts, and installation of educational signage.

“Our Cleanup Has Evolved”: Why Invasive Species Are Now a Major Focus

While many people think of volunteer cleanup days as strictly “pick up trash” events, organizers say Roseburg’s parks are often already in good shape. That has changed what the work looks like today.

Julie Lowe, Director of Environmental Education and Outreach for Umpqua Watersheds, said the MLK Day of Service has been part of Roseburg for more than 15 years, evolving over time as community needs have changed.

“Our clean-up has now kind of evolved into an invasive species removal because Roseburg does an incredible job keeping its parks clean,” Lowe explained.

Instead of piles of trash, volunteers are increasingly facing something harder to remove: invasive plants.

Lowe described invasive species as plants with “almost magical abilities to survive any conditions,” adding that they “take more than their share of resources, water, space, sun, and they out-compete all of our native plants.”

In other words, invasive plants do not just make parks look messy. They change the ecosystem.

And once they get established, they do not go away on their own.

Eastwood Nature Park: Planting Natives and Installing Signs That Teach and Connect

At Eastwood Nature Park, Lowe said there was very little trash. That allowed crews to focus on restoration work instead.

“So what we’ve been doing is planting some native plants, some native willows, camas, other native bushes,” she said.

The park also gained a unique educational upgrade. New signs connect visitors to native plants and wildlife through language and culture.

Lowe said Umpqua Watersheds installed signs in partnership with the Takelma Cultural Center and Umpqua Valley Farm to School, featuring native plants and animals listed in the Takelma language.

Visitors can scan a QR code to hear pronunciation and learn more, turning a walk in the park into something deeper: a chance to understand what lives here, what belongs here, and what we are trying to protect.

Stewart Park and the Duck Pond: Cleanup, Community Pride, and Long-Term Care

Stewart Park remains one of the most visible and most-used community gathering spaces in Roseburg, and it continues to be a key focus every year.

“A couple of other areas we’ve worked at today is Stewart Park, we always work at because that’s where our bandstand is and that’s where people love to gather all year,” Lowe said.

Meanwhile, the Duck Pond area has become a special restoration effort supported by community groups.

Lowe highlighted the involvement of Ryan Finley and the Roseburg Tracker group, saying they have “adopted the Duck Pond area as a place of restoration,” and that organizers send volunteers there whenever possible to help support the work.

This is what long-term community care looks like. Not one big cleanup and done, but consistent attention over time.

Teams, Families, and a Whole Baseball Team Showing Up

Organizers credited the day’s success to the people who came out ready to work, including youth groups, families, and organized teams.

This year included volunteers from 4-H, local community members, and even the entire UCC baseball team, which was divided into groups to help cover multiple parks.

Events like this run on energy and manpower. When large groups show up, it allows organizers to spread crews out and tackle more areas efficiently.

Part of Thrive Umpqua’s Community Well-Being Challenge

The MLK Day of Service also ties into a broader local effort through Thrive Umpqua.

Lowe said Thrive Umpqua sponsors the event as part of its community well-being challenges, alongside ongoing partnership with the City of Roseburg Parks and Recreation Department.

The goal is simple: create opportunities for people to improve health, strengthen connection, and build pride in the community through shared action.

You get exercise.
You get fresh air.
You meet people you would not normally meet.
And you leave knowing you helped.

More Than a Cleanup: Turning Shared Values Into Action

At its core, MLK Day is meant to be more than a holiday. It is meant to be a day of action. A day where people choose service over comfort.

“Martin Luther King Day of Service is about turning shared values into action.”

And that is exactly what it looked like across Roseburg:

• People pulling invasive plants out by the roots
• People hauling bags of trash off trails and river corridors
• People installing signs so kids and families can learn while they explore
• People showing up because this community is worth caring for

How to Get Involved With Umpqua Watersheds

Organizers emphasized that days like this only work because community members are willing to show up and get their hands dirty.

Umpqua Watersheds hosts restoration work and environmental education throughout the year for anyone looking to stay involved.

For more information or to participate in future events, community members can contact:

Umpqua Watersheds
Email: julie@umpquawatersheds.org
Phone: (541) 672-7065