September Featured Volunteer Opportunities and Trainings

      

September Featured Volunteer Opportunities and Trainings

View this month's featured volunteer opportunities including Program Support and Special Events  support for The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience, Make A Difference Day, and Fall Barn Aide Recruitment has begun! 

Click the blue VOLUNTEER button to learn more about each featured opportunity and RESPOND to sign up, get outside and give back this month. 

Love horses? Enjoy Working Outdoors?

Whether you love animals, want to learn more about horse care, or are looking for a meaningful way to give back, we'd love to welcome you to our Volunteer Barn Aide team! Our volunteers help care for the horses that inspire and educate visitors everyday while creating memorable experiences for everyone who visits. 

This is a great opportunity for animal lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone interested in working with horses. As a Barn aide, you'll play an important role in supporting the health and well-being of our horses and helping keep the barn clean, safe, and running smoothly. Volunteer duties include feeding and watering horses, assisting with grooming, cleaning and bedding stalls, sweeping aisles, and helping with other daily barn tasks. 

No horse experience? No problem! Our experienced staff will provide hands-on training along with opportunities to learn by doing, shadowing our qualified barn aide volunteers. We'll make sure you feel comfortable and confident before signing up for volunteer shifts.

Because our horses rely on the care and consistency of our volunteers, we ask each Barn Aide to commit to at least 8 shifts per calendar year.

Ready to get started? New Barn Aide volunteer recruitment season starts NOW through November. Click the blue VOLUNTEER button below to begin your virtual training today! 

Make A Difference Day:

Join us Saturday, October 24, from 9am to noon for Make a Difference Day at Five Rivers MetroParks! Community members of all ages are invited to lend a hand at project sites throughout MetroParks, helping care for our parks and prepare them for the winter season. It's a great way to get outside, give back, and make an impact in your community this October. Gather your family, friends, coworkers, or community group and join us in making a difference!

Make a Difference Day is sponsored by Montgomery County Environmental Services, Keep Montgomery County Beautiful, and QEI Engineers Inc.

Learn more and sign up by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below.

Gardening Across our MetroParks:

September brings that sweet spot in the gardening season, when the heat begins to ease, the mornings feel a little cooler, and there's still plenty happening in the gardens. It's a great time to get outside, enjoy the changing season, and lend a hand as our garden spaces begin their gradual transition into fall.

There's still plenty to do! From weeding and deadheading to planting, mulching, and general garden upkeep, volunteers help keep these spaces beautiful, healthy, and ready for what comes next. Grab your gardening gloves and spend a September morning outside with us. A little time in the dirt goes a long way!

Join us for gardening activities at various location including:
- Aullwood Garden

- Carriage Hill

- Cox Arboretum

- Possum Creek

- RiverScape and Urban Parks

- Wegerzyn Gardens

Click the blue VOLUNTEER button to learn more and sign up to make a difference.

Adventure Central Program Assistants:

Make a difference at Adventure Central! Adventure Central's after-school program helps young people build confidence, leadership skills, and a love of learning through positive youth development and environmental education. It is a welcoming, safe, fun, and active environment. We're looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help make afternoons meaningful and memorable by supporting the kitchen staff with meal prep, serving, and clean up; helping students with homework, especially during the return of the school season; encouraging young readers during story time; or simply playing games, having fun, and being a positive role model. 

If you enjoy spending time with kids, want to have fun, and are looking for a rewarding way to make a difference in a child's life, we'd love to have you join us at Adventure Central!

Click the blue VOLUNTEER button below to learn more, view available volunteer shifts, and sign up. 

Program Support at The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience:

The annual Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience is right around the corner, and we need YOU! Volunteer opportunities are available now with a high need for Program Support volunteers. Experience the excitement of the outdoors while helping Five Rivers MetroParks create an unforgettable community event.

This event is filled with "Try It" activities that invite participants to step outside their comfort zones, learn something new, and discover the joy of outdoor adventure. Behind every great experience is a great team. Our Program Support volunteers, help ensure that every activity is safe, welcoming, engaging, and fun! Whether you're helping someone try paddlesports for the first time, supporting action sports, or welcoming anglers to the Fishing Village, your time and energy can make a lasting impact. 

Join the Five Rivers MetroParks volunteer team and help our community make memories, discover new adventures, and experience the outdoors together. Explore program support opportunities available below or click the blue VOLUNTEER button to explore all the event volunteer opportunities. 

Try Paddlesports Opportunities - 

- Line and Safety Assistant

- Boat Assistant

- Life Jacket Assistant

- Safety Boater (requires prior training)

Action Sports Opportunities - 

- Tot Track and Pump Track

- Try Cycling and Mountain Bike Loop

- Climbing Wall

- Slackline

- Fishing Village

The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience: Special Events Volunteers Needed!

Come one, come all!
There is a place for everyone at The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience! With hundreds of slots available, and no extra qualification needed for most opportunities, You are guaranteed to find a great way to support this amazing free event that introduces people to adventure in the outdoors.

 
Something for Everyone
Whether you're a real go-getter and love to engage the public with your friendly demeanor or if you prefer to support guests with your clerical and organizational skills making sure visitors understand safety policies and procedures, you are needed at the Info Central and Waiver Support station! This year we are offering a division of labor with signups specifically for Waiver Station as well as the combo offering at the main entrance. And your welcoming smile and love for Five Rivers MetroParks is always needed at the Marketing booth.

Connect and Demonstrate Your Values
For those who prefer to support staff and volunteers from behind the scenes, your assistance as the Hospitality Tent Support will maximize your service impact. Want to help visitors learn more about how they can also make an ongoing difference? This event is a waste free event. Join us on the Sustainability Team and demonstrate ongoing ways to sustain and conserve resources.

Don't Miss Out!
With such a broad range of opportunities, you don't have to choose between participating and serving at this incredible event. help us get this event started on the right foot with Exhibitor Support and Set Up and then you'll still have the whole weekend free to attend the event! And of course what goes up, must come down. After an action-packed weekend, you can help us restore the park to it's pre-event status as part of the Tear Down crew.

No matter what your skill set or interest, there is a place for You to volunteer at The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience. (Of course it's even more fun with friends, so invite your besties to join us too!) View all the event volunteer opportunities by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below.

Textile Workdays:

Cooler weather is the perfect time to gather, create, and share the skills that keep our textile traditions alive! Carriage Hill is looking for volunteers with an interest in sewing, crocheting, knitting, and weaving to join our Textile Workdays. Whether you're an experienced textile artist or eager to learn something new, there are a variety of ways to get involved, behind the scenes and by helping with demonstrations and classes.

Volunteers play an important role in preserving history and caring for cherished textiles, from repairing historic pieces to creating period-appropriate clothing and supporting hands-on learning experiences. Curious about learning something new? Opportunities may include learning to use a knitting machine, exploring the art of weaving, and discovering other traditional textile techniques. We also welcome youth ages 16 and up to participate, build skills, and explore their creativity.

Ready to join us? Click the blue VOLUNTEER button below to learn more and sign up. 

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.