 Five Rivers MetroParks Volunteer Newsletter - April 2026Inside this edition of the Volunteer Newsletter:FEATURE Thank YOU for Volunteering with MetroParks! VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT FEATURED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES & TRAINING Spring is HERE and We Need Your Help in the Parks! GET CONNECTED TECH TIP VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and We're Celebrating YOU! Parkways Online Featured Articles |
FEATURE: Thank YOU for Volunteering with MetroParks!2025 was another remarkable year for volunteer service, In 2025, volunteers contributed 30,246.58 hours to our parks - INCREDIBLE! While the number itself is impressive, what it truly represents is extraordinary: helping hands removing invasive species, maintaining trails, planting native trees and flowers, tending our beautiful gardens, welcoming and assisting visitors, leading tours, demonstrating 19th century farm life, and supporting a variety of programs and special events. We have captured so many wonderful stories of volunteers making a difference across our parks in You can also review your individual impact by viewing your Volunteer Resume on Get Connected. We have a tech tip in this month's newsletter (and on the Volunteer Blog) to show you how to do just that step by step. Check it out here. We have been working with staff on other ways to say thank you and show our appreciation to you in April as we celebrate you for National Volunteer Month. You can learn more about these appreciation efforts in this month's Volunteer Appreciation in the newsletter (and on the Volunteer Blog). Thank you for everything you do for your MetroParks. Our parks are great because of YOU! |
 Our Cox Woodworking volunteers continued to shine in 2025. This group of 14 dedicated long-term volunteers served over 1,331 hours in 2025 contributing to a number of high impact projects. This team of volunteers is featured multiple times in this year's Volunteer Impact Report with projects that supported a variety of parks including restoring and installing garden gates at Aullwood Garden MetroPark, crafting and installing new barn doors at the Carriage Hill Riding Center, and partnering with Conservation to create bat condos. Learn more below and view more stories of volunteer impact in this year's Volunteer Impact Report. Bat Condo Collaboration by Megan Rude, Conservation Coordinator Bat condos are an excellent way to support Ohio's bat populations by providing large roost in spaces  that can house hundreds of bats at once, addressing the shortage of natural roost sites such as old trees and barns. Unlike smaller bat houses, bat condos offer multiple internal chambers with varied temperatures and microclimates, allowing bats to select ideal conditions for maternity colonies and day roosting. This makes them ideal for species such as the endangered little brown bat and big brown bats (Ohio species of concern). By installing bat condos near fields, forests, or water, we can help reduce mosquito and crop pest populations naturally while also supporting the recovery of bats affected by habitat loss and white-nose syndrome. With the rapid growth and urbanization that Huber Heights is currently undergoing, I thought that Carriage Hill MetroPark would be a great place to debut one of these condos. Using blueprints from the Wisconsin Division of Natural Resources, the Cox woodworking group was able to modify the plans from a multi-day construction on site in the field, to a full construction in the woodshop with single day installation. They then constructed the condo in a matter of months! We are still working to get the condo installed but are hoping for an early 2026 installation, just in time for the summer bat season. (Pictured Right: Cox Woodworkers in front of their newly crafted Bat Condo.) New Cellar Doors & Barn Doors at Carriage Hill MetroPark by Uriah Langmeyer, Park Technician  The Cox Woodworkers crafted and installed new cellar doors for the historic farm and new barn doors for the Riding Center at Carriage Hill MetroPark. To craft the cellar doors, the group used the original blueprints from the late 1880's. The wood was milled at the park, and the fasteners were handmade by the historic specialists. Everything besides the paint was made to be original. The project itself was not complex, but the level of craftsmanship from all involved was top-notch. The finished product looks just as the original doors would have looked. This kind of project is where this group truly shines. (Pictured Right: Cox Woodworkers installing new barn doors at the Riding Center.) Gates to the Secret Garden by Beth Langford, Horticulturalist  In the late 1960's/early 1970's Marie Aull had wooden gates installed at the entrance of her and her late husband, John Weston Aull's beautiful and peaceful garden. Oh, the stories those gates could tell, if they could, of the many visitors who passed through into the gardens throughout the seasons, throughout the years.In the late 1990's the gates were moved and were lovingly cared for by two sisters who often frequent the gardens, Karen Offenbacker and Kristie Gunter. After a number of years, the sisters decided to return the gates with the hope of them being reinstalled. The dark brown wooden gates stood in solitude in the Aull house basement for several years until 2023 when they were temporarily placed at the front entrance for the 100th Anniversary of John and Marie's wedding. Jump to 2025 and say hello to volunteer James Glynn. James volunteered a number of times at Aullwood Garden and learned the story of Marie's wooden gates. He understood the historical significance and sentimental value they held. As part of the Cox Woodworking team, James surveyed the gates and assisted with the process of placing the gates in the Cox Woodworking cue. The woodworking team took great care in restoring the gates to their former beauty and soon will once again be placed permanently at the Aullwood Garden front entrance. So, when you visit the gardens this season and see something "new", you are seeing something timeless and something local MetroPark patrons have lovingly helped to restore, and Marie would graciously beckon you to come through the Gates to the Secret Garden and enjoy the timeless peace that awaits. (Pictured Right: Horticulturalist Beth Langford with volunteer James Glynn opening the newly installed gates.) Thank you, Cox Woodworkers, for dedicating your skills and time to projects that truly make a difference for our parks! Interested in joining our Cox Woodworking team? Learn more here. Meet more AMAZING MetroParks volunteers in our Volunteer Spotlights on Get Connected. |
 FEATURED Volunteer Opportunities and TrainingsSpring is here and the parks are blooming - That means we're going to need your help! Check out our featured volunteer opportunities, including Adopt-A-Park, below and sign up to get outside, enjoy some sunshine and fresh air, while lending a hand to the parks you love. view all of our volunteer opportunities on Get Connected. Need help signing up? Want to learn more? Meet with a volunteer coordinator during a Volunteer Open House, or join us for an informative volunteer info session. View upcoming opportunities and RSVP today!
Adopt-A-Park Returns this Month - Sign Up Today! Join the Annual Big Pull at Aullwood Garden - April 30th! Get ready to weed out invasive species and branch out in conservation Choose a morning or afternoon shift, or stay all day - bring a lunch and enjoy a midday break with the staff! You'll get your hands dirty as you work alongside staff to remove invasive plants and support biodiversity in our region. It's a fun, hands-on way to make a real impact and enjoy the outdoors! View more details and to respond to the opportunity, click the blue VOLUNTEER button below.
Love hiking at Eastwood MetroPark, riding at the MetroParks Mountain Biking Area (MoMBA), or exploring Huffman MetroPark? Join our new Trail Maintenance Crew and give back to the trails you love at these parks! Starting in April, this recurring opportunity meets And don't forget - we also have dedicated Trail Maintenance crews at Twin Creek & Germantown MetroParks and Englewood MetroPark, too!
NEW! Get ready to make a difference while enjoying the great outdoors at Hills & Dales MetroPark, a hidden gem in the heart of Dayton! Beginning in April, volunteers are needed to help with a variety of tasks like trimming trail corridors, weeding and planting beds, mulching playgrounds, and even sanding and staining picnic tables. With tasks changing based on the park's needs, you'll never get bored, and every visit will feel like a new adventure. This beautiful park, designed by the famed Olmsted Brothers, offers creeks, wooded trails, and unique Adirondack-style shelters tucked into a charming neighborhood. By volunteering, you'll play a key role in keeping this historic space vibrant and welcoming for the community. Ready to help? Sign up for a workday and be part of something special! View more details and to respond to the opportunity, click the blue VOLUNTEER button below.
Garden guides play vital role in enhancing the visitor experience, transforming a simple tour into an unforgettable journey. They warmly guide 
Bike to Work Day Five Rivers MetroParks celebrates National Bike Month with our annual Bike to Work Day Pancake Breakfast Whether you're a seasoned cycling commuter or a first-time bike rider, or are just willing to lend a helping hand, unite with us to share the culture and the fun of biking to work as a Bike to Work Day volunteer! Learn more about this year's opportunities and respond by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below.  |
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Volunteer AppreciationApril is National Volunteer Month and we're celebrating all of our dedicated volunteers! You can read about the many ways volunteers supported our parks and made a difference in 2025 in this year's Volunteer Impact Report. You'll also see a variety of posts across MetroParks social media and on the website recognizing the incredible work you, our dedicated volunteers do! For those volunteers celebrating Earth Day with us on Saturday, April 25th at Adopt-A-Park, we'll be giving away our brand-new collectable Adopt-A-Park pins. Last, don't forget to request your VIP items, you've earned them! Volunteer shirts, hats, milestone service pins, and more are available by request in our VIP Item Request Form here on Get Connected, or by contacting Volunteer Services. Thank you for continuing to lend a hand in support of your MetroParks. We appreciate YOU! Thank you for volunteering!
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 Check out these great features from Parkways Online, MetroParks blog:MetroParks Month: Programs & Events for April (Use your volunteer discount for these great programs!) Celebrate Earth DAYton this April through May Be Aware of Red Flags When Sourcing Seeds this Spring MetroParks First Four-est Championship Match is Set |
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.
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Mar 30, 2026
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by Volunteer Services
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thanks to our generous volunteers, the dedicated staff who lead and support them, and the Volunteer Services team who work mostly behind the scenes to ensure meaningful and successful volunteer engagement throughout our MetroParks. 
region, including:
at The Annual Big Pull on April 30th! In partnership with Aullwood Audubon and the Garden Club of Dayton, this exciting event will help restore native habitats along the Stillwater River in honor of Ohio Native Plant Month.
on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month. Volunteers work alongside Park Maintenance staff on corridor clearing, drainage improvements, and tread maintenance while learning the "whys and hows" behind sustainable trail systems. View the available opportunities and sign up by clicking the 
Garden Guide In-Person Volunteer Training
guests through the stunning grounds, sharing stories of history, purpose, and mission that brings the surrounds to life. With their passion and knowledge, they highlight points of interest, offering insights that spark curiosity and wonder. As they assist visitors in their exploration, these dedicated individuals encourage a heartfelt connection with nature, inspiring a deeper appreciation for the beauty around us. This could be YOU! Join us at this in-person training to learn more. RSVP is required to attend. Click the 
Celebration
many volunteers across the agency and across our volunteer positions in 2025. This report features volunteer data, stories, and the names of those volunteers who contributed to our mission and made a difference in 2025. Look for yours inside this year's report!
