Volunteers aid at Oasis
Jan. 4—Oasis State Park was, like many other area properties, recently overcome by tumbleweeds from multiple days of high winds.
On Thursday, it was overcome by support, with nearly three dozen volunteers working four hours to clean up the property.
The Oasis staff, in a Dec. 23 post, showed a tumbleweed-covered pond and a note that at least half of the tumbleweeds needed to be removed before New Mexico Game and Fish could restock the lake.
Former Clovis resident Tishia Stewart saw the post and decided to organize a volunteer effort, since she would be in town for the holidays anyway. Once she got permission from Oasis staff to set up the Dec. 30 event, Stewart sent the volunteer opportunity out on Facebook, and the United Way of Eastern New Mexico shared the event on its page as well.
The volunteer base included general members of the community, the Baptist Children's Home in Portales, Roosevelt County emergency services.
"Our Operation Tumbleweed volunteer event at Oasis State Park was a lot of work," Stewart said. "Our beautiful group of volunteers did such an amazing job of clearing these weeds from campsites, piling them high, loading the dried plants into a trailer, while keeping the access road clear to campers. Kudos to everyone who showed up on such a short notice."
Stewart said she is working on another volunteer event in March, also at Oasis.
