On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, about a dozen members of the community spent their day off from work and school helping clear invasive plants from the woods at Idylwood Park in Redmond.

The volunteers cleared English ivy and Himalayan blackberries — both of which are non-native to the area — along Idylwood Creek. Their work took them deep into the woods near an area where mountain beavers have been known to live, Idylwood forest steward Laurie Gogic said.

Monday’s national holiday has been designated as a day of service, “a day on, not a day off,” according to the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that leads service, volunteering, and grant-making efforts in the country. The designation is to encourage people to volunteer to improve their communities.

About a dozen volunteers showed up to Idylwood Park on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Samantha Pak/staff photo

Michelle Hyde works to remove invasive plant species from the wooded area in Idylwood Park. Samantha Pak/staff photo

From left, Idylwood Park forest steward Laurie Gogic, Winnie Poon and Joshua Chung take a break in their clean-up work at Idylwood Park. Samantha Pak/staff photo

Joshua Chung rests on a fence during a park clean-up event at Idylwood Park in Redmond. Samantha Pak/staff photo