HOUSTON — A nature walk was not in the plans for volunteers at Galveston State Park this October day, especially with trash bags in hand.

Many men and women had signed up for The Galveston Bay Foundation’s Bike Around the Bay, but there was a change of plans when Ike blew through.

“Instead of simply canceling the ride we decided to ask our riders and the general public to come out and volunteer for two days,” Bob Stokes, with the Galveston Bay Foundation, said.

About 250 volunteers signed up to spend their weekend collecting, hauling and clearing away mountains of debris at the state park.

Christine Longmore is one of the cyclists who donated her registration fee and time to help out.

She and her fellow riders came across a laundry list of items not typical to the park. Among those were a lifejacket, a chair, a Christmas ornament that was hanging in a tree, Mardi Gras beads and even a snake.

The snake was relocated so volunteers could make his home more livable.

The 2,000-acre park is going to need a lot help from volunteers to clean up. Bike Around the Bay is just one of the first groups to step up and help out.

The state park is closed, open only to the hundreds of migratory birds and volunteers who are lending a helping hand.

Both are coming from all over the state.

“I really didn’t expect it to be this bad so I was sort of shocked when I drove in,” Peter Babcock from Dallas said.

Had Ike not littered the park most of these volunteers would be spinning their wheels biking across the bay on a perfect afternoon.

“The bike ride would have been fantastic. Next year, next year,” Babcock said.