Five Rivers MetroParks Volunteer Newsletter - January 2023

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Jan 6, 2023
by Volunteer Services

Winter serenity and beauty at Englewood MetroPark. 

In this edition of the Volunteer Newsletter:  

  • 2022 - What a Year We Had! Welcome 2023
  • Get Connected Survey Winners 
  • Volunteer Appreciation 
  • COVID-19 Update 
  • Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities & Trainings
  • Volunteer Opportunities to Support Our Partners 
  • Get Connected Tech Tip   

2022 - What a Year We Had! Welcome 2023 

In 2022, we recruited 1,510 brand new volunteers for a total of 2,335 agency volunteers. We offered over 530 volunteer opportunities and received over 6,384 volunteer responses or sign-ups. In total, volunteers served 18,037.88 hours for a dollar benefit to the agency of $488,285.41. Wow! Thank you, volunteers! We are preparing a Volunteer Impact Report with more details to share with you that will be available in February.

  

Get Connected Volunteer Survey Winners

Thank you to those who completed the Get Connected Survey! Those who completed the survey by December 15th were entered into a raffle drawing for great MetroParks prizes. Prize winners and pick up instructions are provided below. Volunteer Services is busy reviewing all of the great feedback received and will be sharing this feedback in upcoming newsletters as well as in our Volunteer Impact Report for 2022. 

Winners of RiverScape Ice Rink & Hot Cocoa Passes for a group or family of 4:  

Paige Gerhart and Amy Rehfus   

Winners of $10 in Market Bucks good for purchases at the 2nd Street Market: 

Carla Fox, Melanie Swiderek, Helen Schmenk, Shirley Folger, Paige Harsman, Judy Knight, Courtney Van Winkle, Jo Seiter, Ellenmarie Wahlrab, and Nancy Dyer

Winners of a Five Rivers MetroParks Bandana: 

Jim Latham, Patrick Kennedy, Elle Evans, Nikki Tempus, Russell Johnson, Lillian Behm, Carol Ann Lutz, Tim Rouse, Gwen E Owen, Ed Stevenson, Joshua Bradley, William Macek, Seth Abernethy, Rex Miller, Christine Tieman, Tiffany Hunsinger, Denida Chapman, Lauren Berry, Kevin Eggers, and Henry Bowman 

PRIZE PICK-UP: You may pick up your prize Monday-Friday between 8 am-5 pm at our Visitor Services Desk at the Five Rivers MetroParks Main Office located at 409 E Monument Ave, Third Floor, Dayton Ohio 45402. Please Note: Our office will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of the holiday. 

If you would like an alternative pick-up location or time including having your prize sent via courier to your upcoming volunteer location, please reach out to volunteer.services@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275 and ask to speak with a Volunteer Coordinator. 

Thank you again for supporting Five Rivers MetroParks by providing your feedback!

 

Volunteers Tamilee and Maya Holbrook, Sarah Locker and Isaac Fry, and Kyle and Kellye Texter enjoying themselves at Artisan Night at 2nd Street Market!   

Volunteer Appreciation - VIP Rewards and Artisan Night - Thank You for Volunteering! 

Volunteers who served 25 hours or more in 2022 by December 1st were invited to join Volunteer Services and our Five Rivers MetroParks Staff Leads at a fun evening of food, shopping, and holiday cheer at Artisan Night at the 2nd Street Market.  Qualified volunteers who RSVP'd received $20 in special Market Money for food and shopping good for that night, as well as their earned VIP (Volunteer Incentive Program) items: new t-shirt for 25 or more hours of service, choice of knit winter hat or baseball cap for 50 or more hours of service, and milestone service pins.  

If you did not attend the event, but have given 25 volunteer hours or more in 2022, please contact volunteer.services@metroparks.org to make arrangements to receive your VIP items. 

COVID-19 Update: Face Coverings Required Indoors 

According to criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control, Montgomery County is now listed as HIGH Community Spread Level. In response to this, effective December 24, 2022, face coverings will be required for staff and volunteers inside all MetroPark facilities and when traveling in vehicles with others.   MetroParks also is responding with the health and safety of its community, volunteers and employees top of mind. MetroParks will update this web page as the situation evolves. When volunteering, please check the MetroParks website current policy regarding our COVID response.  

 

Volunteer Positions & Upcoming Opportunities 

While some volunteer opportunities are winding down for the season, new volunteer opportunities and volunteer training are being scheduled. Take a look to see how you can continue to support your Five Rivers MetroParks this season.   

See something that interests you, but have questions? Contact a Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275. Looking for opportunities where we need the most help right now? View our high-need, high-priority opportunities here. 

Don't forget to FAN the Volunteer Positions you support. When you FAN a volunteer position you receive a weekly digest email for that position that includes new volunteer opportunities. It also lets your Volunteer Services team know that you are interested in that position and its opportunities. 

 

Administrative 

Administrative volunteers work behind the scenes on a variety of clerical projects to ensure that our frontline staff and volunteers have all they need to provide high-quality parks, programs, and services. 

 

Volunteer Donna Recktenwalt sharing her skills in the office. 

Project-Based Administrative Volunteers: Detail-oriented individuals will put their computer skills to good use by supporting staff in short-term administrative projects. Common tasks may include data entry, document creation, graphic design, writing or editing, photo or video editing, or compiling internet research. On-site or virtual opportunities may arise.  

Submit your Computer Skills Assessment now to be added to our pool of administrative volunteers.  As future project requests arise, these volunteers will be invited to support administrative projects that match their skill set.   

 

Ambassador 

Ambassadors are often the first friendly face a visitor sees welcoming them to the park and can be counted on to share helpful information and answer a variety of questions. Are you a people person? Here is a great opportunity to share your enthusiasm for Five Rivers MetroParks, 2nd Street Market, and shopping local! 

2nd Street Market Volunteers: Join us in the vibrant, bubbling atmosphere of the 2nd Street Market, where you'll always run into a familiar face! Click the volunteer button below to learn more and sign up.

  • Market Ambassador volunteers will be stationed near the entrance and will greet visitors, conduct sales of MetroParks merchandise, provide wayfinding assistance, and promote the MetroParks by passing out literature. 
  • Roaming Market Greeters will rove throughout the Market greeting, welcoming, and interacting with people. Volunteers will provide wayfinding assistance and promote the MetroParks by passing out literature, as well as acting as a second set of eyes and ears for emergency situations. 

 

 

Animal Care 

Animal Care volunteers support staff in caring for farm animals and wildlife animal ambassadors at a variety of our parks. These animals support MetroParks' mission by connecting the public to nature and education on local history, conservation, and small site sustainability. 

Wildlife Ambassador Volunteer Peter Camm shares a selfie while doing animal care at Germantown MetroPark. 

Wildlife Ambassador Animal Care: Wildlife Ambassador Animal Care Volunteers assist with the daily care of the animals at our Twin Valley Welcome Center including cleaning animal enclosures, socializing, and providing the animals with fresh food and water. All new Wildlife Ambassador volunteers begin with animal care. Additional opportunities for Wildlife Ambassadors include Wildlife Ambassador Program Support and Outreach. These essential volunteers allow us to continue to care for and support these wildlife ambassadors that serve to educate the public on the importance of our conservation mission. Interested in joining the effort? Learn more about what it means to provide animal care for these Wildlife Ambassadors and begin volunteer training by clicking the button this link. Volunteers who complete the virtual training will then be contacted to schedule in-person shadowing. 

 

Conservation 

Protecting open space and natural areas is a priority for Five Rivers MetroParks, which protects nearly 16,000 acres of land - 90 percent of it in its natural state. Conservation volunteers are a part of our regional conservation story by assisting in implementing a variety of natural area management plans.  

 

Mike Shade and Susan Sandro, Cover Mapping Volunteers, review criteria for documenting plant material. 

Volunteer Cover Mapping Training: Do you like hiking, learning to use new tools, and expanding on your tree identification skills? Try Cover mapping! Cover mapping is a scientific process of mapping vegetation types. Volunteers collect information about the species size, species composition as well as impacts from deer and invasive species. Through Cover mapping, volunteers help Five Rivers MetroParks to determine the current health of our habitats, how the habitats have changed over time, and make management recommendations. In this Hands-on Cover mapping Training, you will meet with our staff leader, who will review the why's and how's of Cover mapping. After this brief review and introduction, you will then head off with a group of skilled volunteers to conduct Cover mapping, putting training into practice. RSVP to attend the in-person training by clicking the button below.

 

 

Gardening 

Gardening volunteers support our horticulture and education staff in caring for a variety of gardens throughout our parks. These gardens not only provide beautiful spaces for Miami Valley residents to get outside, explore, and connect to nature, but many also provide fresh local produce to those in need in our community.   

Volunteer David Saelens in the gardens at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark.

Gardening?...in January? Yes! While some gardens are resting under the chill of cold temperatures, others are still very active.  In addition to routine garden and landscape maintenance, this is a great time of the year to learn about sanitizing and proper care of gardening tools, as well as assist staff with tool inventory.  If you are interested in helping, grab your winter hat, and warm garden gloves, and sign up by clicking the volunteer button below.  Please remember, these opportunities are WEATHER DEPENDENT.  If you have responded to a gardening shift, keep an eye out in your email for potential cancellations.  

 

 

Park Maintenance 

Five Rivers MetroParks provides clean, safe parks and conservation areas for the public to enjoy year-round. Our Park Maintenance volunteers help to manage and sustain 18 beautiful parks, 11 conservation areas, and 160 miles of hike, bike, mountain bike, and horseback-riding trails for park visitors to safely enjoy. 

 

 

Market Custodial Help: Do you love visiting the 2nd Street Market and are looking for a way to contribute to such a great community asset? In addition to our regular volunteer opportunities at the market, there is also a temporary need as well. Due to unforeseen staffing circumstances at the Market, our team is in need of some additional weekend afternoon custodial help. Tasks include keeping the Market tidy during operational hours as well as light sweeping, table cleaning and helping with trash removal after closing. Learn more and sign up to help by clicking the volunteer button below.

 

 

 

Programming 

Five Rivers MetroParks provides a wide variety of high-quality programs to help the public get outside and get connected to nature. Programming volunteers work alongside staff to provide support at programs year-round that help participants master new skills, learn about the natural world, and appreciate the value of open spaces. 

 

Adventure Central Kitchen Support: Do you enjoy being around kids? Know your way around a kitchen? Support our kitchen staff in preparing, serving, and cleaning up simple meals for the after-school program kids at Adventure Central. Great for student service hours!  

Adventure Central Program Assistant: Love kids? The after-school program at Adventure Central promotes positive youth development, education, and leadership skills using an environmental foundation in a welcoming, safe, fun, active setting. The Program Assistant spends most of his or her time monitoring indoor and outdoor play and getting roped into all sorts of shenanigans from playing bord games to jumping rope, to gaga ball! 

Learn more about volunteer opportunities at Adventure Central by clicking the volunteer button below:

 

Winter Hike Program Support: Winter is a great time to get out on the trails to discover things of interest and learn more about MetroParks.  To help get people started, these led hikes add engagement and encouragement.  All family members, young and old, can find a trail that suits their needs, but some individuals like to start new behavior changes with some support.  Our Outdoor Recreation team creates a learning environment to help individuals enjoy the outdoors in fun and safe activities.  Volunteers will support the staff lead and participants as they enjoy nature, increase their activity, and discover new trails and ways to improve physical and mental health in MetroParks. To learn more about the winter hikes and respond, click the volunteer button below:

 

Skilled Trades 

Five Rivers MetroParks takes pride in the variety of hands-on, skilled trades opportunities we offer, both in historical and modern-day settings. Our Skilled Trades volunteers help drive our mission forward by assisting with maintenance projects in fabrication, repair, and interpretation. 

Staff Lead and Education Specialist, Deb Spencer, shows volunteer Jeanne Schoenharl how to make patterns from 1800's descriptions. 

 

Textile and Fiber Arts: Have you "fanned" the Skilled Trades Volunteer Position? Did you know skills like sewing, crocheting, knitting, and weaving are highly valued and in need? We are excited to start offering more opportunities for volunteers to share these valuable skills in support of MetroParks. Currently, we are looking for volunteers with sewing skills to support opportunities at Carriage Hill MetroPark and Possum Creek MetroPark. Check out these opportunities on Get Connected by clicking the volunteer button below. 

 

Textile and Fiber Arts Volunteer Trainings: These training opportunities are for individuals who will be volunteering with our staff at programs, behind-the-scenes opportunities, and demonstrations at the Carriage Hill Historic Farm. Upcoming trainings are listed below. Please RSVP by clicking the green RSVP button. 

  • Rigid Heddle Loom: Volunteers will learn to measure for and warp a rigid heddle loom, as well as weave and remove work. This knowledge will prepare the volunteer to assist in beginning rigid heddle weaving classes.  This training will be on Saturday, January 14 (9:30 am - 3pm) at Carriage Hill MetroPark in the Visitor Center. RSVP is required.

  

  • Treadle Sewing Machine: Volunteers will learn the basics of operating a treadle sewing machine, including threading a needle, operating a foot treadle with both feet, and building some skills with simple tasks. This training will be on Saturday, January 21 (9:30 am - 3pm) at Carriage Hill MetroPark in the Visitor Center. RSVP is required.  

 

 

Special Events 

Special event volunteers ensure that a positive, high-energy, outdoor enthusiasm tone starts at the welcome, and the event appears seamless and effortless for all who participate.  

 

Volunteers Rebecca Schenking and Carol Williamson greet and welcome program participants at Wright State University for The Adventure Summit. 

The Adventure Speakers Series - Welcome Ambassadors: The Outdoor Recreation team is seeking enthusiastic, recreation-oriented volunteers to help support the staff at The Adventure Speakers Series. Volunteers can support this either at Wright State University or Cox Arboretum.  To learn more details and to respond, please click the volunteer button below. 

 

 

Volunteer Opportunities Available to Support Our Partners! 

 

Volunteers Lisa Brown and Gail Ulrich welcome visitors and help them find the perfect item at the Wegerzyn Gardens Gift and Garden Shop.  

Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation: Foundation volunteers are needed to support the Gift and Garden Shop, located at the 2nd Street Market.  Proceeds from the gift shop support special projects and programs at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. For more information or to become a Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation volunteer, please email contact@wegerzyngardensfoundation.org. 

 Get Connected Tech Tip  

Have you explored the Training available on Get Connected? Volunteer Services has prepared introductory trainings to introduce you to the site and walk you through the steps to set up your profile and get started as a volunteer site user. The training includes several brief videos to watch on many of the things to get you more proficient on the site. Click here to check it out.

Short on time and fairly tech-savvy? We have a Fast Track Site Training that might be just right for you! Check it out below. Please make sure you have a strong internet connection, and speakers or headphones so you can hear the content provided.  We recommend using a Chrome browser if available. Start to explore at the site training page by clicking here. 

Do you want to get more involved as a volunteer and looking to see what qualifications are needed?  Training resources by volunteer positions are available in the Volunteer Training Library.  Take some time to explore the additional trainings available for volunteers by clicking here.

 

Volunteer Services 

Volunteer Services is available if you have questions or need assistance in signing up. Contact us at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or #937-275-7275. 

Your Volunteer Services Team  

Candy Holloway - Horticulture & Sustainability #(937) 275-5006 

Yvonne Dunphe - Outdoor Connections Programming #(937) 277-4147 

Allie Zimmerman - Parks & Conservation #(937) 274-3176 

Janelle Leonard - Business Operations & Visitor Services # (937) 277-5445 

Jenny Hymans - Human Resources Manager of Volunteer Services #(937) 567-1413