Seabee Volunteers Spruce Up New Orleans City Park

GULFPORT, Miss. (NNS) -- Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 converged on the New Orleans City Park April 16-17 to help renovate and landscape during New Orleans Navy Week.

As the 26 volunteers arrived at the park, they were joined by members from NMCB 1 to clear weeds and spread pine straw mulch among the many flower beds in the Carousel Gardens amusement park and Storytime play area and plant of 250 hawthorn bushes along the edge of the Great Lawn.

Steve Ryman, the park's volunteer director, said extra hands are always welcome as the 1,300 acre park is only staffed by 85 employees.

"We only have eight horticulturalists," said Ryman. "Four of them work inside the botanical gardens; the others are responsible for the rest of the park. What you did here in a couple of hours would have taken them the entire week."

Ryman said they have been looking forward to the horde of volunteers from the Navy who would be showing up in association with the Navy Week.

They have several large projects that other volunteer groups are not able to do, Ryman said. "The drive and work ethic from our service members is exactly what we needed."

More than 400 military volunteers are expected to make the park their home during the week as the projects continue.

"It makes an impact," said Equipment Operator Constructionman Sara Bills from NMCB 133. "It's apparent people appreciate it."

NMCB 133's volunteers will participate in several other volunteer opportunities as the week progresses, but will return to the park for a third day, April 19.

During their absence, NMCB 74 and NMCB 1 will maintain the Seabees presence in the park, as more volunteers from the military ships participating in Navy Week arrive.

NMCB 133 is currently engaged in a homeport training period in preparation for their next deployment.

For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133, visit www.navy.mil/local/nmcb133/.