Dawn Beltz of New Castle makes her way to shore Saturday in a kayak on Lake Arthur at Moraine State Park. Beltz was part of a group of volunteers who picked up trash along the shorelines of the lake to prepare it for the upcoming Lake Arthur Regatta. The regatta will be held Aug. 6 to 7.

PORTERSVILLE — Volunteers kayaked and hiked their way around Moraine State Park on Saturday to clean up the area in time for the Lake Arthur Regatta.

Six volunteers kayaked Lake Arthur, picking up trash on the shorelines to make sure the area was clean and presentable for the regatta, which will be held Aug. 6 to 7.

“We wanted to make sure this looks its very best before the regatta,” said Natalie Simon, state park environmental education specialist.

Meanwhile, four Boy Scouts hiked Hilltop Trail, cutting overgrown branches along the way to make it easier to walk on. By doing so, they earned their “Life Status” within the scouts.

One of the volunteers was Dawn Beltz, a park regular.

“This is my first time volunteering,” said Beltz, of New Castle. “I’m down here all the time kayaking, so it was a good way for me to give back.

Beltz brought along her daughter, Emily Parker, and Parker’s friend, Abby Savor, both whom will be seniors at Laurel High School in the fall.

Among the items picked up were cans, a bag of carrots, various plastic items, a flower pot, a sand bucket, two shovels, and part of a kayak paddle.

“They found the most bizarre things,” Simon said.

Also found was fishing gear, which Simon said is an issue.

“That’s one of the things we’re most concerned about because it never degrades, and animals get tangled in it,” she said.

Parker was glad to have volunteered.

“It’s just nice to give back to Moraine, and it makes me appreciate the park more after I picked up,” she said.

Savor said she was glad to help make the park safer for animals.

“How bad it is for the animals, it was good to get all that (trash) out,” she said.

Simon said most of the park is well-kept.

“The vast majority of our park visitors keep the park really clean, but once you start looking for (trash), it builds up over time,” she said.

Simon also was impressed with how the Boy Scouts did on the trail.

“They did well,” she said.” They got all the hours they needed at this time for their Boy Scout service, and they did the entire long loop of the Hilltop Trail.”