At each Greater & Greener conference, attendees and local organizations come together for Volunteer Service Day, an opportunity to make a difference in a city park in the conference host city.
Sunday, June 14 2026, 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Turn your conference experience into community impact by joining fellow attendees to refresh Chestnut Pocket Park, a 0.6-acre urban oasis serving over 4,000 residents in East Austin. This beloved community space features a pavilion, playgrounds, and a splash pad that provides year-round joy, but aging equipment limits safe play for neighborhood children.
Together, we’ll:
The Chestnut neighborhood, a historically African American community with a rich history, has long championed beautification and resilience through the Chestnut Addition Neighborhood Association. Despite facing challenges as a historically redlined neighborhood that was often excluded from investments and opportunities, the community’s spirit remained strong and today stands as one of East Austin’s most beautifully diverse neighborhoods.
Your efforts will honor that legacy and ensure this treasured park remains a vibrant gathering place for generations to come.
Note: Volunteer Service Day is included at no additional fee.
Lead National Sponsor:
Lead Local Sponsor:
Volunteer Service Day participants made a lasting difference for children of all ages by upgrading the T.T. Minor Playground. T.T. Minor Playground is a small neighborhood park in a highly dense and diverse neighborhood. The space is adjacent to the Seattle World School, whose students represent nearly 30 countries and speak almost 40 different languages. Conference attendees installed new playground equipment, planted flowers and other shrubbery, pulled weeds, and performed other general park cleanup.
Lead Sponsor: Landscape Structures, Inc.
Volunteer Service Day participants upgraded the Norris Square Park playground and surrounding areas. Norris Square Park, a beloved North Philadelphia landmark, builds upon the city’s rich history of public parks. Located in the Kensington area of North Philadelphia, the land for this 5.8-acre square was donated by the family of Isaac Norris to be used as a “public green and walk forever.” The surrounding neighborhood (also called Norris Square) and the park declined in the latter part of the twentieth century as nearby mills and factories closed. Today, dedicated community groups help upkeep the park and retain its historic character.
Lead Sponsor: Landscape Structures, Inc.
Volunteer Service Day participants installed new playground equipment and performed general park cleanup at St. Charles Place Park. The project was led by the St. Charles Ambassadors, a volunteer group of youth formed to represent the interest of the Cole community and assist with the redesign of the park.
Lead Sponsor: Landscape Structures, Inc.
Supporting Sponsors: University of Denver, Xcel Energy
Saint Paul Parks & Recreation hosted the 2017 Twin Cities Volunteer Service Day where conference attendees rolled up their sleeves to install new play structures, plant flowers, and spread mulch in Central Village Park in Saint Paul.
Lead Sponsor: Landscape Structures, Inc.
Supporting Sponsor: Greater MSP (Minneapolis Saint Paul Regional Economic Development Partnership)
Local host partners San Francisco Recreation & Parks, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and Presidio Trust organized a day of clean up and renovation activities including invasive species removal, new plantings, and playground/tennis court clean up at the Presidio.
Lead Sponsor: FedEx
Supporting Sponsor: San Francisco Foundation
Hosted by our local partners New York City Parks & Recreation and City Parks Foundation, more than 50 volunteers—including a strong showing from the Student Conservation Association—came out to paint fence railings, pull weeds, and rake leaves in Manhattan’s East River Park.
Lead Sponsor: REI
Supporting Sponsor: Con Edison