WATCH: Volunteers help remove graffiti from national park

Ashley Harrell, front, and Johnathan Bergdorf help remove graffiti from West Mountain Shelter in Hot Springs National Park. - Photo by Tanner Newton of The Sentinel-Record
Ashley Harrell, front, and Johnathan Bergdorf help remove graffiti from West Mountain Shelter in Hot Springs National Park. - Photo by Tanner Newton of The Sentinel-Record

Thanks to the efforts of local volunteers, Hot Springs National Park is looking more scenic now that graffiti has been removed as part of an ongoing restoration project in the park.

On July 24, volunteers gathered at the West Mountain Shelter, where they attempted to remove graffiti from both the shelter and a nearby stone wall. The effort was led by Celeste Morales, community volunteer ambassador.

"We want to get rid of graffiti, but make a message," Morales said, noting they want to show the public why graffiti is bad.

"It's vandalism, and it's taking away from someone else's experience," she said.

The goal of the National Park Service is "to preserve resources for future guests," Morales said. Every time graffiti has to be cleaned off of a stone, the stone is slowly worn down and damaged.

"If we use a pressure washer, it's just sanding it. Even though it's just a rock, it's a piece of history," she said.

This was the second time volunteers have met this summer to try to remove graffiti. In June, they tried using detergent to remove graffiti, but "it wasn't effective," she said, and the park approved them to use something more powerful this time.

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Assisting Morales were two volunteer Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts students, Claire Green and Bear Moore, who showed the community volunteers how to safely apply the graffiti remover while telling them facts about the park.

Four local volunteers showed up to help. Green said these volunteers are the "best people," adding she was "super proud of every one" who helped restore the shelter. "I'm really glad that we got some people out," she said.

"I just want people to treat the park as their home," Moore said.

"I do wish there were more (volunteers)," he said, but noted he was happy with the efforts of the volunteers.

"Any person out here helps," Moore said.

The four community volunteers were Greg Bunn, his wife, Deanna Bunn, Ashley Harrell and Johnathan Bergdorf.

Deanna Bunn said she and her husband live in Hot Springs "and spend a lot of time on trails." She said she decided to help clean up the park because she "just wanted to come out and help."

Greg Bunn said he thought the graffiti removal was a good idea.

"I think it's a great effort. Wish we didn't have to do it," he said.

After Morales and the other volunteers covered the graffiti with a graffiti remover, Ethan King, landscaping supervisor for the national park, sprayed down the affected areas, washing off much of the graffiti.

"I think this is amazing," King said. "If it wasn't for volunteers, we wouldn't be able (to do this). Really thankful for all the volunteers."

King also noted every time the park cleans off graffiti, the resources are being damaged. "Any time we mitigate graffiti, it degrades ever so much the life of the asset," he said.

"We remove a layer of material, drastically reducing life span," King said, and removing graffiti costs "the Park Service thousands and thousands of dollars a year ... that we could otherwise use on deferred maintenance."

Ashley Waymouth, park ranger/anniversary coordinator, told The Sentinel-Record several days after the graffiti cleaning, "Gosh, we are so proud of our volunteers, and we are really happy."

Waymouth said she had visited the shelter after the cleaning. "The area that they cleaned looks so much better," she said.

The graffiti cleaner removes newer graffiti easier than older graffiti, so some areas with older graffiti will have to be cleaned again to remove more of it, she said.

Most of the graffiti was newer, Waymouth said, noting over the past year, the park has "seen an increase" in graffiti.

The next event the park will hold as part of the restoration project will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 14 at Arlington Lawn. Volunteers will remove invasive plant species from the thermal water cascade.

Waymouth said they are mainly looking for English ivy, which she described as "fast-growing and aggressive."

Removing the plants, Waymouth said, is important because they take resources away from naturally occurring ones.

This is currently the last restoration event planned in the park, but Waymouth said they are looking at possibly doing more in the future.

Volunteers help remove graffiti from West Mountain Shelter parking lot. - Photo by Tanner Newton of The Sentinel-Record
Volunteers help remove graffiti from West Mountain Shelter parking lot. - Photo by Tanner Newton of The Sentinel-Record

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