Earth Day will look a little different this year.
Businesses have an opportunity to support an organization that is dedicated to preserving a unique park near the border of North Augusta and Augusta.
The North Augusta Brick Pond Park Committee, in partnership with the North Augusta Beautification Foundation, has scheduled an event calling people to visit the park near the municipal building.
“We’re so gifted in North Augusta. We have 36 city parks, and we have this beautiful water feature of the Brick Pond right here in downtown,” committee member Brian Wendzik of Argus Visuals, told ABD. “There are people that travel from out of the country, certainly out of our state, that come here to visit and may be going to see other events, but they come to that pond.”
Businesses are invited to have a vendor table for the inaugural Spring event. The event will be on April 18th and will serve as an Earth Day observance in North Augusta.
“We were so lucky because the calendar gets filled, so this spot opened up because Earth Day isn’t really a North Augusta-funded event. So, it was a natural fit,” said Brian Wendzik. “Rain or shine, come and check it out and just enjoy it for three or four hours.”
In addition to the vendors, there will be live music and food trucks. However, there will also be an educational aspect to the event.
“Whether it’s adults not knowing how the Brick Pond Park was founded. Whether there are Boy Scouts or student science classes or anybody else, retirees, anybody that wants to volunteer, because it is a beautiful place, but it is to educate the public,” explained Sheryl Wendzik.
The 40-acre park is a restored wetland that functions as a stormwater treatment system. North Augusta invested in developing the park to remove pollutants from stormwater runoff while removing trash, industrial debris, and dead or dying trees.
The committee also wants to make sure the dangers to the park, from both visitors and their pets, are well known.
“For example, we learned that one of the biggest impacts right now on the brick pond water are all the pet owners walking their dogs, and the droppings are running into the water and is creating a huge problem,” said Sheryl Wendzik “We need to get to those people and let them know you got to pick it up because it is hurting the water quality.”
Brian Wendzik pointed to another issue that recently led to a fishing ban in the west pond. Discarded fishing line was getting tangled around birds and other wildlife. That prompted local fishermen to find a solution.
“The best proponents for nature and for these features are the ones that use it like the sportsman, the fishermen,” he said. “They want to raise money for receptacles that when fishermen go, or others that are there utilizing, they can dump and put their hooks and line in receptacles.”
The event is also designed to enlist new volunteers to help protect and maintain the park. It is also a fundraising event with money going toward developing amenities like classroom tools and technological enhancements, such as improving Wi-Fi.
“We’ve applied for grants to have technological upgrades to the park area,” detailed Brian Wendzik. “We put in to have a Wi-Fi infrastructure added to it. We’re working on components where you’re walking and checking out in different areas of the park that you’ll be able to look at your phone, and it will tell you what you’re looking at, what you’re seeing, what you’re experiencing.”
Businesses and organizations interested in securing a vendor table can email: brickpondparkcommittee@gmail.com
