Community cleans up Nolan Creek Nature Trail

July 17, 2025

By Harvey Jackson Oss

The Belton Journal

Tuesday morning marked the second event of the Belton Parks and Recreation Department’s Parks Town 2025 National Park and Recreation Month program. Community members gathered at Nolan Creek Nature Trail to clean the area. Nestled within the University of Mary Hardin Baylor campus area just West of Crusader Stadium, Nolan Creek Nature Trail is one of Belton’s lesser-known parks. “It’s one of these hidden gems…we just wanted to kind of bring light to it,” explained new Recreation Coordinator Adam Wells, who was overseeing the cleanup. The area of focus was a span of about 50 feet just after turning the corner to enter the trail. A small but dedicated group of eight workers scoured the area for all types of trash, including broken glass and plastic bottles. Wells commented on the importance of cleanup events like this one. “We have to give back to nature… by cleaning up and doing our part it helps nature thrive.” One volunteer present was Ellie Herrera, who came with her children. The Herrera family enjoys frequenting park cleanup events. “It’s local which is nice, because all the other stuff we’ve done hasn’t been local. It’s nice that this is our community, our backyard.” The impact of community cleanup events extends far beyond ecology. Wells said, “It gets people outdoors, meeting new people, and seeing different things.” Time spent cleaning up the parks often leads to more time spent involved in the community in other ways. These events help to further the mission of the parks department as well, giving the community more exposure to Belton’s many parks and trails. Wells notes that community members can clean the environment independently of formal park cleanups while going about their day. “If you see trash just pick it up, easy enough.” He detailed the personal significance that cleanup events have for him — “Anything to get me outdoors and we’re picking up some trash and helping out the environment, I’m all about it.”