Nine members of the Friends of South Whidbey State Park, working under the direction of two state park employees, cleaned and trimmed the park’s entrance Sept. 17 in the group’s first organized work day.

The group worked on the entrance island, originally landscaped by the Lions Club in 1992. Shrubs and rhodies were trimmed, beauty bark was laid and the cuttings were loaded in a truck for green recycling.

“The work party went great today,” said volunteer Ann Fruechte in a news release. “The park entrance area is beautiful.”

As of October, there will be limited personnel servicing South Whidbey State Park. Whidbey residents are getting active through the new Friends group to make up for reduced funding for Washington’s state park system.

To become a member and to receive more information about Friends of South Whidbey State Park, email foswsp@gmail.com and visit Friends of South Whidbey State Park on Facebook.