In this edition of the Volunteer Newsletter:

FEATURE: You Gave MORE than 30,000 hours this year!

Join us in celebrating you and your incredible service in 2024! Not only did we surpass our 2023 hours, but we even surpassed our goal of 30,000 hours for 2024. As we write this, we have received 30,850 hours of volunteer support this year - that is truly incredible!

Your support means we can continue to provide a world class park system complete with high-quality programs, and fun, family-friendly events for our Dayton community.  From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

We'll be working with your staff leads to compile all the wonderful stories of your volunteer service from this year in our upcoming annual Volunteer Impact Report to share with you soon. 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from Five Rivers MetroParks to you and yours!

New Year Reminders

MetroParks Alerts:

During and immediately following periods of severe weather, some areas of MetroParks may not be available for use. These areas will be reopened as soon as possible after such an event. We follow a reopening plan that has been developed to best protect and best serve the majority of visitors as quickly as possible. For the latest park updates and weather-related closures and delays, visit www.metroparks.org/alerts. 

Check Your Email:

Be sure to check your email! Staff Leads may need to delay or cancel scheduled volunteer opportunities due to severe or inclement weather. Staff leads and/or Volunteer Services will contact you via email or phone should changes occur to your scheduled volunteer opportunities.

Name Badges:

In early 2024 we rolled out new volunteer name badges for all short-term and long-term volunteers. These new name badges include your volunteer profile photo (if you have one), the year you started volunteering with us, the volunteer positions you love to support, and your unique Get Connected volunteer User ID# printed and sealed in a convenient waterproof name badge holder with a volunteer lanyard. If you are an active long-term or short-term volunteer with us and you have not yet received your new volunteer name badge, we'd love to make one for you! Let us know by submitting a request for a new name badge in our VIP Item Request Form here. If you haven't added a profile photo to your Get Connected volunteer account, you still can! Watch this brief demonstration video to learn how. 

VIP Items: 

You can easily request your volunteer apparel - milestone service pins, volunteer shirts and volunteer hats - through our online VIP Item Request Form, or by contacting volunteer.services@metroparks.org. Volunteers with 25 hours or more can qualify for a variety of VIP benefits exclusive to volunteers including volunteer apparel, volunteer discounts, and invitation to volunteer appreciation events and activities. 

Volunteer Photo Contest: 

Congratulations to Ron Schilb for winning or photo contest with his photo of "Cox Arboretum in the Fall". This photo will be featured on our annual volunteer thank you card!

Conservation Tip

Enjoy an Eco-friendly holiday!

Taking care of the environment is still important during the winter and the holidays. Want to know things you can do that can make a difference?

Drive less, carpool more.

Shop local.

Stay in eco-friendly accommodations.

Minimize single-use plastic waste.

Enjoy days out in nature.

Choose to offset your carbon emissions where possible.

Compost!

Volunteer!

Learn more here: Eco-friendly Winter Activities

For almost two decades, Judy Day has been a dedicated MetroParks volunteer, lending her time and skills in various volunteer positions and supporting a variety of special events. Her passion for the parks and commitment to supporting our mission have made a lasting impact. 

Judy started volunteering while still working and connected with one of the early weekend opportunities. She volunteered at Cox Arboretum with the wildflower volunteer group, connecting with a group of passionate individuals doing something no one else was doing. Learning about native wildflowers and how to propagate them, while supporting the spring native wildflower sale is where it all started. "We became such a cohesive group with a wonderful volunteer leader, Kathy Dulaney, that I continued to volunteer on Saturdays," she said. Retiring in 2019, she added a second day of volunteering with MetroParks filling it with other opportunities she could support. 

Judy said "I loved the parks as a kid. My grandfather took us to Englewood MetroPark in the '60's to play and always cooked over a fire! So, I wanted to be involved in something outside which is why I started investigating Five Rivers opportunities." She loves how Five Rivers MetroParks has grown with many opportunities including more weekends, as well as inside and outside projects. "When I volunteer, I feel prepared and trained" and that is an important part of the volunteer experience, Judy shared.

Judy has participated in opportunities to get her hands dirty, supported big events, and administrative projects, but says "I love the ambassador opportunities!" The chance to meet new people and provide them with the information they need to get out there are two key reasons she enjoys that role. Lynda Suda, Market Manager says, "Judy is a wonderful volunteer and a great fit for 2nd Street Market. Her customer service is exceptional. Even with challenging individuals, Judy goes above and beyond to be respectful and make people feel welcomed."

Judy is from Dayton, her mom was an active volunteer, and she credits her passion to give back to her community to her mom. Outside of her MetroParks service, Judy stays active and engaged in volunteering with Dayton Metro Library, Heartland Hospice, and Kettering Noon Optimists. With two grandsons, Judy also dedicates her time to their schools. Favorite activities for Judy include hiking, gardening, and golf which keeps her active and connected to nature. 

Judy Day embodies the true spirit of Five Rivers MetroParks volunteers - dedicated, passionate, and always ready to lend a hand. Her unwavering commitment to our parks and the natural world inspires us all. 

Thank you, Judy, for your dedication and service to Five Rivers MetroParks!

Interested in volunteering to support our ambassador opportunities? Click here to view the ambassador volunteer opportunities available now. Or more interested in an administrative project? Click here to learn more.

Five Rivers MetroParks recently lost a dedicated long-term volunteer, Bill Macek. Learn more about Bill's impact on the historic farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark here. Learn about funeral arrangements, donations in memory of Bill and more here. Thank you, Bill for your generous gift of service to Five Rivers MetroParks. Your enthusiasm will be missed on the farm for years to come.  

Volunteer Positions & Upcoming Opportunities

Kick off your New Year with a Commitment to Service - Volunteer Opportunities are available all Winter long in your MetroParks!

A variety of indoor and outdoor opportunities are available to help you stay active and give back to the parks you love this winter season.

See something that interests you, but have questions? Contact a volunteer coordinator at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or by phone at #937-275-7275.

View our high need, high priority volunteer opportunities whenever you see this symbol below: 

Don't forget to FAN the volunteer positions with the opportunities you are most interested in supporting!

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.

Volunteers Alan Pittman and Michael McCarty stay warm during the winter working on administrative projects like the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience Data Entry project.

The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience Data Entry

Are you looking for a way to volunteer this winter, but want to stay indoors out of the cold? Are you detail-oriented and have basic computer skills? Do you want to make connections with staff or explore a different side of MetroParks?

Each year Five Rivers MetroParks hosts The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience at Eastwood MetroPark in celebration of and showcasing all the many recreation activities and community resources that the Miami Valley holds. Post-event, staff need volunteer support entering data from participant waivers into our comprehensive database. This is a short-term administrative project open to Long-Term and Short-Term volunteers ages 18 and up.

To get started, please complete our Administrative and Computer Skills Assessment. 

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.

Volunteer Wendy DelRe helps visitors discover the best of MetroParks as a 2nd Street Market Ambassador.

2nd Street Market Ambassador

Share your love of Five Rivers MetroParks with visitors at the 2nd Street Market! Ambassadors are stationed at the Welcome Wagon just inside the Market entrance. They enhance the visitor experience by greeting and welcoming visitors, conducting sales of MetroParks merchandise, processing EBT exchanges, providing wayfinding assistance, and promoting everything they love about our parks.

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

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.

Horticulturalist and Staff Lead Beth Langford welcomes volunteers to support winter projects at Aullwood Garden MetroPark!

Aullwood Gardening:

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 to assist staff with tool inventory. If you are interested in helping, grab your winter hat and warm gloves, and click the blue VOLUNTEER button below to learn more and sign up! 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 spends time getting to know our many amazing Market vendors between custodial tasks at the 2nd Street Market!

Market Custodial Support:

Love spending time at the 2nd Street Market? Want to give back to this awesome community hub? We've got the perfect opportunity for you! We're currently looking for some extra help with custodial tasks on weekend afternoons. You'll be helping to keep the market tidy during operational hours, doing some light sweeping and table cleaning, and assisting with trash removal after closing. Plus, since it's all indoors, you'll stay warm and comfortable while making a difference in our community.

View the opportunities available and sign up for support by clicking the blue 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. 

Volunteer Phil Bush helps Outdoor Recreation Specialist and Staff Lead Kelly Kingery get ready for the fishing volunteer season opener.

Fishing Program Support Season Opener - Saturday, January 11th at 9am:

Fishing programs are returning in 2024 with a new staff lead and coordinator, Thomas Nugent! Join us at our fishing program support season opener, Fun Fishing For Everyone, to meet Thomas and say goodbye to retiring staff lead and specialist Kelly Kingery while learning about the programs planned for the new year. You don't need to be an expert to provide fishing program support. We'll show you how you can help regardless of your skill level at this season opener.
Learn more and RSVP by clicking the green RSVP 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 Ellen Eveland shares her sewing skills during a textile workday to mend some of the farm's historic clothing.

Textile & Fiber Arts Opportunities:

Textile Workday - Share your skills and join the fun indoors during the cold months of the year! Are you interested in helping behind the scenes or maybe demonstrating these skills?  Volunteers are supporting Carriage Hill and other park program teams using a variety of textile skills to repair items, make historic apparel, and build a unique team. Carriage Hill offers a Textile workday where volunteers assist staff with various textile projects, as well as learn new skills like using a knitting machine or weaving. These opportunities are also available for youth ages 16 and up. Learn more and sign up to join us at a workday by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below.  

Support Our Partners

Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation volunteer Marilyn Allen welcomes shoppers to the Wegerzyn Gift and Garden Shop at the 2nd Street Market.

Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation - Gift and Garden Shop at the 2nd Street Market
Volunteers are needed to support the Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation Gift & Garden Shop at the 2nd Street Market on the weekends. Proceeds from all sales go to support special projects and programs at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark. For more information and to get started, contact the Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation at contact@wegerzyngardensfoundation.org.

Americorps volunteer Tina Colaric and long-term volunteer Deb Kozar introduce children to nature during scheduled school field trips at Cox Arboretum MetroPark. 

Notre Dame Mission Americorps Volunteers - Opportunities to serve Five Rivers MetroParks
Five Rivers MetroParks, in partnership with Notre Dame Mission Americorps, has Americorps opportunities available to support our parks! Americorps members receive a living allowance and an educational award for their service. For more information visit this link or contact dayton@ndmva.org.

Get Connected Tech Tip: 

Checking in to Your Volunteer Shifts & Adding Hours

Documenting your volunteer hours is important, and the check-in process makes it easy. Here are a few ways you can check-in to your volunteer shifts: 

Volunteer Appreciation

Thank you to all of our volunteers who supported this year's holiday events at Aullwood Garden MetroPark and Carriage Hill MetroPark! Thanks to you many families were able to build wonderful holiday memories in our parks. 

Thank you volunteers for a wonderful 2024!

VIP Items: 

You can easily request your volunteer apparel - milestone service pins, volunteer shirts and volunteer hats - through our online VIP Item Request Form, or by contacting volunteer.services@metroparks.org. Volunteers with 25 hours or more can qualify for a variety of VIP benefits exclusive to volunteers including volunteer apparel, volunteer discounts, and invitation to volunteer appreciation events and activities. 

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

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

Amanda Wheatley - Ambassador & Special Events, Interim Administration# (937) 275-7275

Yvonne Dunphe - Programming # (937) 277-4147

Jenny Hymans - Human Resources Manager of Volunteer Services, Interim: Animal Care & Animal Programming and Court Appointed Volunteer Service # (937) 567-1413