Volunteer Positions & Upcoming Opportunities
Kickstart your New Year by volunteering with us this month!
View the volunteer opportunities below to see how you can support your MetroParks this month through volunteer service. 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.
See something that interests you, but have questions? Contact a Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275.
View our high-need, high-priority opportunities here.
Administration
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.
Thanks to the support of volunteers, the history of Aullwood Gardens is documented with photos, historical documents, and research. Pictured is Marie Aull in the early years at the farm.
Aullwood History Research:
Are you interested in local history? Help document the historical significance of the Aull family and the Aullwood property to our region by conducting independent research and reviewing and organizing historical documents. Please complete our History Research Interest Form, and a staff person will contact you to discuss a research topic.
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!
Ambassador volunteers, Rebecca Schenking and Carol Williamson, welcome attendees and help them find all the exciting things happening at the Adventure Summit.
Info Central at the Adventure Summit:
MetroParks is looking for individuals with knowledge of the organization and great customer service skills to serve as Info Central volunteers at The Adventure Summit! Info Central volunteers serve as Ambassadors for the event and MetroParks. They are the first people visitors will have contact with at the event and they should exhibit positivity, high energy, and enthusiasm at the start of the visitor experience! Volunteers will answer questions about the event and MetroParks and help with wayfinding. Knowledge of Wright State University is a plus! Volunteers will leave knowing they have promoted an active, healthy lifestyle in the region and have contributed to making Dayton "The Adventure Capital of the Midwest!" Learn more and sign up to support this opportunity by clicking the blue volunteer button below.
Market Ambassador volunteer, Barbara Czestochowa, lets visitors know about all the exciting things available at the 2nd Street Market.
2nd Street Market Ambassador:
Is 2nd Street Market one of your favorite places to be on a Saturday or Sunday? Do you love seeing familiar faces and chatting with locals? Become a 2nd Street Market Ambassador! Market Ambassadors greet guests, help with wayfinding, answer questions, and contribute to the welcome feel of the Market. Volunteers enhance the visitor experience, help curate the Market's unique, vibrant culture for our customers, and support our vendors in providing sustainable local food to the community. Learn more and sign up to support this opportunity by clicking the blue volunteer 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.
Winter is the perfect time to get some gardening done, and you never know what early blooms might surprise you!
Gardening at Aullwood MetroPark:
Gardening?...in January? Yes! While some gardens are resting under the chill of cold temperatures, Aullwood Garden is 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 click the blue VOLUNTEER button below to view the opportunities available and sign up to support! 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.
Volunteer Joe Untener checks in with vendors as part of his time at 2nd Street Market.
Market Custodial Support:
If you love spending time at the 2nd Street Market and want to give back to this amazing community asset, we have a great opportunity for you! We're currently looking for some extra help with custodial tasks on weekend afternoons. You'll be helping us keep the Market tidy during operational hours, doing some light sweeping and table cleaning, and assisting with trash removal after closing. And the best part? You'll be doing it all indoors, so you won't have to worry about the chilly winter weather. Interested in joining our team of awesome volunteers? Click the blue VOLUNTEER button below to view the opportunities available and sign up to support!
Trail Maintenance volunteers work year-round, as long as the weather cooperates, to ensure our trails are safe and sustainable.
Trail Maintenance:
If you're looking for a way to get outside and stay active during the winter months, our trail maintenance volunteer opportunities are a great way to do just that! Our trails need maintenance year-round and we're always in need of dedicated volunteers to help us keep them in good condition. Don't let the chilly winter weather stop you from enjoying the great outdoors - with the right gear and a positive attitude, you can make a big difference in maintaining our trails. Plus, it's a great way to work off those holiday treats and de-stress in nature. Click the Park specific links below or the blue VOLUNTEER button to learn more about these opportunities and sign up.
-Trail Maintenance at Possum Creek
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.
CJ Volunteer, Alaina Winn, spends time with students while assisting with homework assignments.
Adventure Central Program Assistants:
Love kids? Spend your time hanging out with the most adventurous youth in Dayton! 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. These kids are just bursting with energy and excitement! The Program Assistant spends time helping in the homework room, assisting in the kitchen during mealtimes, or outdoors monitoring play time and getting roped into all sorts of shenanigans from playing in the creek to jumping rope, to gaga ball! Learn more and sign up to support this opportunity by clicking the blue volunteer button below.
Volunteer Daryl Clark welcomes guests into one of the many public adventure presentations available at The Adventure Summit.
Room Ambassadors:
Learn and Give Back as a Room Ambassador at Adventure Summit! Volunteers interested in seeing great presentations, interacting with outdoor recreational enthusiasts, and love special events should consider this opportunity. The Room Ambassadors help create a seamless experience for the presenters and attendees, a welcoming environment for people to enjoy the presentation, and good source of feedback for the event. This is a people-oriented opportunity! Volunteers are stationed at the entrance of the presentation rooms, welcoming attendees, and providing information and event assistance. Learn more and sign up to support this opportunity by clicking the blue volunteer button below.
Volunteers assist staff and help participants get prepared for their time in kayaks in the pool.
Pool Assistants:
Do you enjoy our paddlesport activities? Join us in the pool area at this year's Adventure Summit! Volunteers in the pool area help kick off the season and excitement to come, and although they may not be going in the water, they should be comfortable around the pool area. Volunteers allow participants to get a more personalized experience and support the staff in creating a safe environment for people to learn. Volunteers will greet and direct participants, assist in communicating safety protocols and help with any programming assistance needs. Learn more and sign up to support this opportunity by clicking the blue 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.
Volunteer Georgette Hall works to prepare items for upcoming projects and textile classes.
Textile and Fiber Arts:
Textile workdays are never boring! Volunteers have an opportunity to share their time and talents, and learn some new skills, while creating items to be used by MetroParks volunteers and staff. We are currently looking for volunteers with skills in sewing, crocheting, knitting, and weaving. Join us at Carriage Hill MetroPark for a behind the scenes weekday or weekend opportunity! Learn more and sign up by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below.
Limited skills but big interest? Look for opportunities to support our textile programs here.
Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation Volunteer India Clark helps customers select the perfect gift item at the Wegerzyn Gift & Garden Shop located inside the 2nd Street Market.
Support Our Partners
Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation:
Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation has many opportunities to volunteer depending on your interests:
-Help run the Gift & Garden Shop inside the 2nd Street Market on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Those volunteers should love helping people and talking to them, but no previous retail experience is required.
-Plan and execute the MayFair at the Market, which is also held at 2nd Street Market in the first week of May.
-Plan and execute the annual Garden Party. If you like event planning with a little glitz and glam, consider joining the annual Garden Party planning committee. The annual soiree at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark includes dinner and dancing on the Garden Green.
If you are interested in learning more about the Foundation's opportunities email contact@wegerzyngardensfoundation.org.
Note: Foundation volunteer opportunities are separate from Five Rivers MetroParks volunteer opportunities and require volunteer onboarding and registration directly with the appropriate Foundation.
Volunteer Services is available if you have questions or need assistance with Get Connected.
Contact us at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275 and ask to speak with a Volunteer Coordinator.
Return to the Volunteer Blog here.
