Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg, Florida. Credit: Photo via cityofstpete/Flickr

Across the state, so many of our natural refuges are still picking up after hurricanes Milton and Helene.

The Florida State Parks system lists two dozen closures including these six in the Bay area.

Alafia River State Park
Caladesi Island State Park
Egmont Key State Park
Hillsborough River State Park
Honeymoon Island State Park
Myakka River State Park

Municipal green spaces are hurting, too, but there’s a chance to roll up your sleeves, put on some closed toe shoes and help one.

Tampa Bay Estuary, St. Pete’s Parks & Recreation department, and Friends of Boyd Hill have teamed up for a weekend cleanup where volunteers will rake and remove debris from the trails around the 245-acre preserve’s Pioneer Settlement living museum.

Bring work gloves (and a rake if you have them). Lunch is on organizers.

St. Petersburg’s Boyd Hill Community Cleanup happens on Saturday, Oct. 26., from 9 a.m.-noon at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve.

Readers are invited to submit their own events to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s things to do calendar.

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This article appears in Oct 17-23, 2024.