VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – STIHL Inc. employees will be volunteering their time to remove hazardous trees and improve the landscaping at Lake Lawson/Lake Smith Natural Area, a 42-acre preserve located in the Bayside borough of Virginia Beach at the corner of Shell Road and Northampton Blvd. On Friday, April 15 Lake Lawson/Lake Smith Natural Area will be closed from 7 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m. to ensure the safety of residents as crews perform these enhancements.
STIHL Inc. employees are conducting the community service project as part of the STIHL Day of Service. The landscaping enhancements involve removing dense vines, deceased trees, and invasive plant species. Mulching, including trail mulching, as well as ornamental plantings will also take place.
The purpose of the annual STIHL Day of Service event is to give professionals in the landscape industry an opportunity to plan, organize, and implement volunteer service projects that benefit their own communities. Over the past five years, STIHL employees have volunteered over 2,180 hours and saved the City of Virginia Beach more than $95,000 through the company’s participation in this Day of Service.
The Lake Lawson/Lake Smith Natural Area provides more than 12,000 feet of shoreline and is a popular fishing destination. Recent improvements include a new boat ramp, a pedestrian bridge, a new playground and picnic shelter, fishing and overlook platforms as well as renovations to the existing soft surface trail and installing hard surface trails. For additional questions about the STIHL Day of Service at Lake Lawson/Lake Smith, please contact Mike Moore in Parks & Natural Areas at mtmoore@vbgov.com
About Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation
Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation strives to promote healthy lifestyles and protect our coastal environment. We work to ensure all residents – regardless of their physical, social and economic circumstances – can access Parks & Recreation programs and services. Our vision is a balanced, sustainable and value-focused system of parks, recreation and public spaces that creates a sense of community. The department is accredited by CAPRA, the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association. For more information, visit VBgov.com/parks or call (757) 385-1100 (TTY: 757-711 Virginia Relay). Sign up for Parks & Rec email newsletters at VBgov.com/eNews. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/VBparksrec.