One Renton woman decided to turn her birthday into a work party, shoveling bark, instead of cake, at a local park.

“I literally got dirty for my 30th,” said Tamara Carter, who turned 30 in June.

The three-hour volunteer effort was one of many organized through Renton Parks and Recreation, but it was the first birthday party.

“I wanted to do something different, something memorable, and something that made a difference in my community,” she said.

Most parties are an excuse to go out and drink, but having friends with kids made the tradition less appealing, Carter said.

She had also completed a personal-development course, where her take on Renton changed.

“I thought of it (Renton) as the place I lived, not as a community I had a direct impact on,” she said. “My city is my community, too.”

About 35 of her friends came to the event at Heritage Park, where they pulled weeds, picked up litter and shoveled play chips on a Saturday morning.

“Everyone had a good time, and everyone put in hard work,” Carter said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better day.”

Lead maintenance worker Jeff Nasset brought Renton’s volunteer trailer, which is loaded with all the necessary tools and gloves. Carter supplied the 35 workers.

“We want to make it as simple as possible for people to be able to give back to the community,” said Bonnie Rerecich, a resource and funding manager. “Sometimes tools can be an obstacle.”

About 60 projects are organized each year with help from the trailer, which was donated from McLendon’s Hardware in 2007.

Most of the volunteers help out as a part of a larger organized group, such as corporate banks or the Boy Scouts, Nasset said, adding that Carter’s party was unusual. “They were fantastic. They were singing work songs.”

Nasset gives the groups a 10-minute instruction and safety orientation, before the workers takeover.

Group sizes run from about three people to about 150 people on Arbor Day.

“We’ve been able to get a tremendous amount of work done through volunteer efforts,” Rerecich said. “It’s been a wonderful partnership with the community.”

The projects vary depending on what the volunteers want to do. Some Eagle Scout groups have even built bridges, Nasset said.

Several volunteer groups are to thank for clearing the brush that once blocked the view of the Cedar River from the trail, he said.

Groups can volunteer by calling Rerecich.

Carter hopes her party impacts her friends, she said. “I hope that people can get inspired and do something different in their communities.”