Planting roots and collecting litter: Finding community through Green Team volunteering
Published on July 30, 2025
When Rhea Bridgeland moved to Huntsville just over a year ago, she brought with her a deep passion for environmental health and a love for shared community spaces like parks and libraries. Looking for a way to connect with her new hometown, she turned to VolunteerMatch—a national portal for volunteer opportunities—and found exactly what she was looking for: a tree planting event hosted by Green Team at Cavalry Hill Community Center.
“The initiative really resonated with me,” Bridgeland said. “It was a chance to give back to the environment and the community at the same time.”
That single event sparked Rhea’s community connection. She learned more about Green Team and discovered the Adopt-a-Spot program, which invites individuals and groups to take ownership of litter clean-up in designated areas. She was immediately interested and began building a team around two different but meaningful locations.
Greening Executive Drive and Rick Cooper Memorial Park
Bridgeland helps coordinate clean-up efforts at her two adopted spots: Executive Drive and Rick Cooper Memorial Park.
The Executive Drive location is maintained by a group of 13–15 staff members from the UAH Lab for Applied Science, where Bridgeland works.
“It’s close to our office and really needs TLC,” she said. “We send out an open call to the building to see if others want to volunteer, especially if our clean-up is scheduled after work hours.”
Rick Cooper Memorial Park, off the southern end of Triana Boulevard, is home to the Huntsville Rugby Club’s men’s, women’s and youth leagues. Bridgeland and her teammates took ownership of maintaining the grounds and keep the park’s roadside entrance clean.
“It felt like a natural extension of the pride we already take in caring for our fields,” she said.
Volunteering That Feeds the Soul
Bridgeland officially joined Green Team as a volunteer in December 2024, and her group clean-ups began in February. She said the experience has been one of the most rewarding parts of her life in Huntsville so far.
“Being active in community groups like the rugby team has brought me a lot of joy,” she said. “Combining that with my environmental interests and my work makes it even more fulfilling. I’ve really come to appreciate the people and places around me.”
Advice for Aspiring Volunteers
For those interested in volunteering but unsure where to start, Bridgeland suggested exploring opportunities with the City of Huntsville.
“I just want to say how much I appreciate my fellow UAH staff and Huntsville Rugby Club team members who give their time and energy,” Bridgeland said. “It really takes a community to make a difference.”