Norman volunteers can grab gloves and trash bags Saturday, Sept. 19, at Ruby Grant Park for the first of four fall cleanup and education events across the city's parks.

The City of Norman's Division of Environmental Resilience and Sustainability (DoERs) organized the series, which runs from September through November at four different parks, according to the city's event announcement. The events pair hands-on watershed cleanups with workshops on trees, native plants and wildlife.

Michelle Chao, the city's environmental programs supervisor, told The OU Daily that trash in Norman's parks and waterways poses real dangers to local wildlife. "Not to call out people's litter, but trash just happens, right? It's windy in the state," Chao said. Debris can wrap around animals or be mistaken for food, making them sick, she said.

The series often involves collaborations with the Parks and Recreation Department, WildCare Oklahoma and the Conservation Commission, bringing an educational component to the outings.

Chao said the cleanups have drawn good volunteer turnout in past years, removing thousands of pounds of trash. Norman has 50 to 60 parks, she said, and the fall series targets four of them.

Here is the full schedule:

• Saturday, Sept. 19, 9 to 11 a.m. — Ruby Grant Watershed Cleanup, Ruby Grant Park, 3110 W. Franklin Road. A hands-on creek and park cleanup.
• Saturday, Oct. 17, 9 to 11 a.m. — Sutton Wilderness Workshop & Cleanup, Sutton Wilderness Park, 1920 12th Ave. NE. Features a tree identification trail walk and tree care tips.
• Sunday, Oct. 25, 1 to 4 p.m. — Lake Thunderbird Workshop & Cleanup, Lake Thunderbird Boathouse, 1312 Indian Point Road. Local experts will share tips on native plants, aquatic bugs and fish.
• Saturday, Nov. 7, 9 to 11 a.m. — Colonial Estates Watershed Cleanup, Colonial Estates Park, 1641 E. Lindsey St.

The city is also hosting two other fall events at Ruby Grant Park on Sunday, Sept. 27: a Monarch Migration 5K and Caterpillar Fun Run from 9 to 11 a.m., followed by the Monarchs in the Park festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The festival features native plant sales, food trucks, crafts and monarch tagging.

A Fall E-Waste Event is set for Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to noon at Westwood Aquatic Center, 1017 Fairway Drive. Residents can drop off old electronics for free. No registration is required.

Registration for the DoERs cleanup events is open at normanok.gov/events. Questions can be sent to [email protected].