LIHU'E, Kaua'i — Volunteers have stepped up to help care for nine parks around Kaua'i, and the county's new Adopt-A-Park program is looking for more.

Mayor Bryan Baptiste said there are some 70 county parks, many of them in neighborhoods.

"Programs such as Adopt-A-Park provide the opportunity for people to work together and take ownership of the communities they live in. If we all pitch in and do our part, all of Kaua'i's parks would be beautiful," Baptiste said.

Although the program is being launched this month, volunteers have been tending to some parks for years. Eddie Sarita, who oversees volunteer programs for the county, said that MacArthur and Linda Dela Cruz have cared for First Ditch Park in Kekaha since it was established five years ago. They have maintained the park and urged local businesses to donate materials and labor to get four pavilions built, each with a barbecue. They're shooting for restrooms next.

Other volunteer park caretakers include Bernard Simao at 'Ele'ele Park, Kathleen Hurd-West at Hanapepe Cliffside and Hanapepe Heights parks, Charles Kusaka and Mabel Timmerman at Kalena Park, Thomas Noyes at Kamalani Park and Playground, Wally Sonoda at Kaumakani Park, Warren Koga at Lihu'e Park and Rosie Bukoski at Maluhia Park.

The county supplies volunteers with some equipment. The volunteers can be individuals, families, neighborhood associations or other groups. They can do different kinds of work, from litter cleanup and graffiti removal to pulling weeds and planting flowers.

"We have more than 70 county parks on the island so we could really use the community's help with maintaining our parks, especially the small ones," Sarita said.

He said the park adoption effort is patterned after similar programs elsewhere in the state. For more information call Sarita at (808) 241-6623.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.