T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM The Marshalltown Central Business District is seeking volunteers to clean up and maintain the berms on Main Street.

The Marshalltown Central Business District (MCBD) is seeking volunteers to Adopt a Berm.

According to MCBD Board of Directors Vice President Travis Hornberg, a berm is located at intersections along Main Street. They are miniature gardens covered with mulch on the corners of the sidewalks.

“We’d like to get this started this month,” he said.

The MCBD is hoping for individuals, organizations, businesses, nonprofits and churches to step up.

“We would like them to clean the berms up, and then take care of ongoing maintenance,” Hornberg said. “The individual or organization can pull weeds, refill the mulch.”

He said people adopting a berm will have free reign to plant or not plant whatever they wish.

“The berm can be minimalistic, as long as there is mulch and no weeds,” Hornberg said. “We would like to recognize folks who take time out of their day.”

Interested volunteers can fill out the form available in a link on the MCBD Facebook page. The MCBD will display the name of the volunteer on the berm. However, if anonymity is desired, that will be respected, Hornberg added.

“This is the second year we are doing this,” he said. “Last year, volunteers were great at resetting the berms. There were a lot of weeds. They cleaned them up, laid fresh mulch. We would like them to look as good as last year.”

There were a fair number of volunteers last year, Hornberg said, but said consistency is important for volunteers to remember.

“They have to keep up with weed pulling and keep a good momentum,” he said. “Everyone eventually gets tired of yard work in the summer, but consistency is needed.”

The Adopt a Berm program will end in October when the fall downtown clean up takes place.

The MCBD will provide the necessary supplies and materials. Hornberg hopes some businesses, such as Earl May Garden Center, will be willing to act as sponsors and donate supplies, such as mulch. He said he would speak to whichever organization or business interested in doing such, and added he can be contacted through the MCBD Facebook page.

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.