MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Volunteers with the Single Marine Program cleaned up the Miramar Fish Pond aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, April 22.
The cleanup took place as part of the SMP’s 2nd Annual Day of Service which highlights volunteering.
According to Katie Weeres, coordinator for the Single Marine Program and a Torrence, California, native, when taking suggestions from service members about activities they would enjoy, the majority ask for more volunteer opportunities.
The SMP chose to devote the day to cleaning up the pond to give back to the community on base and to highlight the pond.
We wanted to come here because not a lot of people knew about the pond and we wanted to bring attention to it," said Weeres. “It’s to give back to each other instead of going off base like we usually do, so it’s nice to be on base and to help each other out.”
During the cleanup, service members cleared vegetation and debris from the pond and cleaned the surrounding area.
The pond clean up took place in coordination with the semi-annual base-wide cleanup, where service members from across the installation spent a day dedicated to picking up trash and improving the landscape on and off base.
“I can’t really express to you how important it is to us to remind them [community members] how important our relationship is to the community, how we look as Marines is something that I hope you all take great pride in,” said Col. Jason Woodworth, commanding officer of MCAS Miramar.