Geneva Rock builds community through local service project

A local open space area frequented by families recently got a cleanup and rebuild courtesy of the employees of Geneva Rock.

Mehraban Wetlands Park, at 898 East Riparian Dr. (11815 South), is a popular spot for bird watchers, fishers and hikers who enjoy the nature trails. But city officials had placed the park on a list of sites due for maintenance when Russian olive trees, which aren’t native to the area, had become overgrown and needed to be removed.

Draper City Parks Department Trails and Open Space Specialist Greg Hilbig said the over growth of trees and brush in the wetland area was creating risk for future fires.

“It’s a neat area in there, [but] there’s always work that needs to be done,” Hilbig said.

Mehraban Wetlands Park is an officially designated protected area by the U.S. Corp of Army Engineers. The wetlands area is the site of Sunset Pond, a well-known fishing spot, and four other small dry-ponds that swell and recede with the ground water table.

Geneva Rock employees volunteered to partner with Draper Public Works and the parks department crews to clear the brush at the park, remove overgrown trees and trim low-hanging tree branches to help improve visibility at the park and reduce the fire hazard.

Waylund Ludlow, a Geneva Rock Asphalt Manager and organizer of the event, said the idea for the project formed after the company contacted Draper Public Works Director David Decker to offer its services.

Geneva employees were given a list of possible projects that needed to be completed in Draper, but decided to help out at the park because the project would have an immediate impact on the community.

Ludlow said employees worked hard to make a difference, adding that giving back to the community is in line with the company’s vision for how to do business.

“We had a pretty big group. We got a lot done. It was a great team-building deal [to work with Draper],” Ludlow said.

On the day of the project, 18 Geneva employees spent more than seven hours on a Thursday, working alongside city crews to clear overgrown trees and brush.

Draper crews brought out a large wood-chipper to mulch the trees and Geneva donated the use of a skid-steer machine to spread the wood chips along the trails in the park.

During the day, Draper City Mayor Darrell Smith, City Manager Layne Long and city staff came out to thank the Geneva Rock employees for their help with the project.

Ludlow said the experience was entirely positive and that the company plans to collaborate with the city on another local project this summer.