The Town of Apex’s Adopt a Park / Trail (APAT) Program aims to foster community involvement in maintaining and beautifying the parks and trails of Apex.
It offers individuals, groups, or organizations the chance to take part in the town’s upkeep by taking responsibility for a segment of a park or trail. Participants engage in various activities such as litter collection, caring for flower beds, painting, applying mulch in playground areas, and setting up safety surfaces, among other physical tasks. Additionally, the program provides an avenue for community members to increase their civic engagement, fostering a sense of pride, recognition, and consciousness about their environment.
The Town asks for a one-year commitment and at least two cleanup or enhancement projects per year. After a full 12-month cycle and two scheduled cleanups, signage will be placed in a prominent location within the boundaries of the adopted park or trail. This signage will acknowledge the organization or individual service and commitment to maintaining the park or trail. The organization or individual will also be highlighted on the Town of Apex website.
To learn a bit more about the initiative, I spoke to Jason Jones who oversees this program.
The APAT Program was launched in the summer of 2020 by department director Craig Setzer. At the time, Setzer was exploring ways to engage the community in parks operations and create a sense of ownership around the parks and greenways.
“To date, the program has been a success,” Jones said. “All available parks and trail sections are adopted for the 2024-2025 adoption year. Families, individuals, neighborhood and social groups, small and large corporate groups, school clubs, and other local organizations have all participated in the program.”
Some examples of projects performed by adoptees include litter removal, weed and vegetation control, park and trail sign and amenity cleaning, handrail painting, light boardwalk repairs, disc golf course cleanup, general site cleaning and maintenance, invasive weed control, and mulch application. These are all tasks that would take a great deal longer if staff from the Town of Apex Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources department did not have the help of dedicated volunteers.
“We are very encouraged by the amount of participation we have in the Adopt-A-Park/Trail program. The town continues to grow and so does the demand for parks, trails, and recreational spaces. There are many greenway trail projects currently underway within the town, which will create additional opportunities for individuals and groups to get involved,” Jones shared.
I asked Jones if the participating organizations or community members could provide a quote or two that captured their experience as the adoptive parents, if you will, of their Apex park or greenway.
Here is a random sampling of what they had to say:
“SUPER excited to get some cleanups scheduled.”
“We look forward to working with you and keeping Apex looking great!”
“This plan sounds great! We’re up for as much as we can do :)”
“We definitely would like to continue our participation in the Adopt-A-Trail Program. Thanks so much for the opportunity!”
“It was a great experience for us as a community. Looking forward to adopting next year.”
“Excited and looking forward to the clean-up volunteer work to keep our community clean!”
If you want additional information or are considering participating in the program, please visit the Town of Apex website at apexnc.org and go to Parks, Rec & Cultural Resources and Adopt a Park/Adopt a Trail. There, you will find links to a detailed program brochure as well as the application for adopting a park or trail. The page includes a table that displays all active TOA parks and greenways and the name of the adopting organization.
If you have questions, you can contact Jason Jones by email (Jason.Jones@apexnc.org) or via phone at (919) 249-3512.
