Area residents are invited to lend a hand at Lake Darling State Park this Saturday.

More than 40 state parks across Iowa are hosting volunteer events to help spruce up the parks. Lake Darling’s volunteer event will be at the Cottonwood Shelter restaining tables and benches. Lake Darling Park Ranger Zach Haworth explains how local residents have a stake in this park, “I would like to encourage the area residents to know that this is everybody’s park, this is their park too. A lot of people when they help out at these volunteer events, it’s nice that they really take pride in that work. And the next time they come out there with their family and friends they can point at something and say, ‘Hey I helped do that,’ and it helps foster kind of some ownership and some responsibility and folks can take pride in that.”

Those of all ages and experience levels are welcome to take part in the event, and the Friends of Lake Darling will be on hand with supplies for volunteers. Participants will meet at 10 a.m. at the Cottonwood Shelter at Lake Darling, and are recommended to wear paint clothes and bring a beverage.