Volunteers Make a Difference with Tulip Display at Cox Arboretum MetroPark
Did you get a chance to see the tulip display at Cox Arboretum MetroPark? This beautiful display is brought to you by the hard work of some amazing volunteers! Students from Chaminade Julienne High School along with Big Hearts Little Hands Preschool volunteered their time alongside our long-term volunteers at Cox Arboretum MetroPark last fall during several scheduled group service days including Make a Difference Day planting tulip bulbs to make this gorgeous display possible-thank you volunteers!
Families, service clubs, schools, non-profit or governmental agencies, or corporate or religious organizations are all examples of volunteer groups that help Five Rivers MetroParks achieve its mission. Opportunities for groups to make a difference in our parks are available year-round by request. Submit a request for your group today!
Groups are also welcome to join our Service Saturdays starting in May and running every third Saturday of the month through September and our annual Make a Difference Day in October.
Big Hearts Little Hands Preschoolers plant tulip bulbs at Cox Arboretum MetroPark.
Celebrate National Bike Month with the Bike to Work Pancake Breakfast at RiverScape!
May is National Bike Month, promoted by the League of American Bicyclists and celebrated in communities from coast to coast. Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling and encourage folks to give biking a try. There is no better place to celebrate biking than the Miami Valley, which boasts the nation's largest paved trail network with more than 340 miles to explore and enjoy. Dayton is also a League of American Bicyclists bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community.
Join us at RiverScape on Friday, May 20th to celebrate with vendors, music, and pancakes! Volunteers will be needed for set up and tear down, vendor support, and breakfast support. View the volunteer opportunities here and sign up! You won't want to miss it!
Volunteer: Christine Tieman, our Bike to Work Day pancake catcher!
Get Outside, Get Involved, and Join the Fun at MetroParks!
April kicked off our Spring activities with so many opportunities available for volunteers including in-person Adopt-A-Park projects, Adopt-A-Park Service Kits, Textile Day at Carriage Hill Historic Farm, Fishing Program Support, Gardening Opportunities, Garden Kit to Go Assembly just to name a few. We are truly grateful for the support and passion our volunteers have for Five Rivers MetroParks, and your efforts make a difference! If you missed some of these, remember to "fan" the position descriptions, include skills and interests in your profile, and check the opportunities listings.
Administration
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 contact Janelle.Leonard@metroparks.org to schedule an informal interview.
Marie Aull's house at Aullwood Garden MetroPark
Gardening
The gardening season is well underway and there are several locations throughout MetroParks where you can support our horticulture and education teams. New gardening opportunities start on May 3 in the Heirloom Garden at the Carriage Hill Historic Farm. On June 1, Skeeter's Garden at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark opens for volunteers to sign up for a volunteer shift. If you are interested in volunteering at one of our horticulture parks such as Aullwood Garden, Cox Arboretum, Wegerzyn Gardens or at RiverScape and our downtown parks, you can also find those opportunities here in Get Connected. Don't forget to "Fan" the Gardening volunteer position to receive the latest updates in gardening volunteer opportunities.
Volunteer Jim White serving in the Heirloom Garden at Carriage Hill MetroPark.
Park Maintenance
Service Saturdays are back in May! These new public volunteer days are an easy, convenient way to support your MetroParks and make a difference! Available May through September throughout MetroParks' locations, volunteers of all ages and abilities will help with a variety of projects from 9 a.m. to noon. Mark your calendar and save the following Service Saturday dates. Opportunities for the May Service Saturday will post soon!
May 21
June 18
July 16
Aug. 20
Sept. 17
Programming
The Historic Farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark tells important stories that celebrate our agricultural heritage in the Miami Valley. This heritage includes a significant portion of our local landscape shaped by generations of farmers who groomed and cared for the land. Visitors to Carriage Hill Historical Farm will be immersed in 19th-century farm life, a time when the sustainable farm, home, and craft practices we see today were simply practical. Visitors can view demonstrations of heritage skills and crafts by living-history interpreters within the preserved house and farm buildings. Through these experiences, volunteers like Charlie Wiltrout tell the story of 19th century farm life.
Listen to Charlie share why he volunteers at the Historic Farm at Carriage Hill here, then review the Historic Interpreter volunteer opportunity. Consider signing up or completing a shadow experience to see if this opportunity might be right for you!
Fishing Programs have returned, and you don't need to be an expert to provide fishing program support! Whether you are interested in Fly Fishing or family fishing, our recreation team creates engaging programs you can support. If you want to follow fishing volunteer opportunities, you can easily search "fishing" in Volunteer Opportunities on Get Connected.
Volunteer support is needed at a brand-new event in May "Passport to Kindergarten" at Wegerzyn Gardens MetroParks on May 5th.This event will be focused on hands-on nature exploration through a variety of station-based activities on pollinators. Families will be encouraged to visit all the stations, meet our animal ambassadors, and enjoy the evening in their park. Volunteers are needed to support the educational activities at each station. View the opportunities available here and sign up to support!
Volunteer Jeff Warden serving at our Passport to Fishing program.
Special Events-Join us at RiverScape in May!
Kick off the event season at this year's Passport to MetroParks! This event aims to build awareness of Five Rivers MetroParks, highlighting our parks and the various events and programs we offer throughout the summer. What a great opportunity to meet new people, assist with event staging and organizing, and being an advocate for our mission. Special Event volunteers serve a critical role in ensuring events and large-scale programs run smoothly and are needed in a variety of positions including set-up, tear-down, vendor check-in and in ambassador roles. Visit our Passport to MetroParks Volunteer Opportunities page in Get Connected to explore an opportunity that's right for you.
Celebrate Bike to Work Day with us Friday, May 20th with vendors, music, and pancakes! Volunteers will be needed for set up and tear down, vendor support, and breakfast support. View the volunteer opportunities here and sign up! You won't want to miss it!
Join Betty Hoevel and other staff in the gardens for a variety of gardening and programming volunteer opportunities this season!
Five Rivers MetroParks is proud of all we accomplished in 2021 and we are grateful to all the volunteers who helped support our mission. Learn more in our Agency Annual Report here.
Are YOU Connected?
Five Rivers MetroParks has a new volunteer management system called Get Connected. This new system is where we post all our available volunteer opportunities, schedule volunteer service and volunteer training, and track volunteer hours.
If you have previously volunteered with Five Rivers MetroParks but have not yet updated your account in the new system, you will need to do so before you can volunteer. Use this link to update your account and complete the online qualifications: Get Connected and Start Volunteering.
If you don't know or remember the password that was emailed to you, you can reset your password here. If you are having trouble, you can learn more about how to navigate the Get Connected Site here or reach out to Volunteer Services to schedule an in person help session with a Volunteer Coordinator. We are here to help you!
Want to learn more about Get Connected? Help Sessions will be offered again beginning in May. Help Sessions are a great way to get started with Get Connected, or learn more about how to use the site, all the great tools and features, and/or explore the app one-on-one with a Volunteer Coordinator. Look for upcoming Help Sessions in Training and Events here soon.
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
Horticulture and Sustainability Volunteer Coordinator-Candy Holloway
Outdoor Connections Programming Volunteer Coordinator-Yvonne Dunphe
Parks and Conservation Volunteer Coordinator-Allie Zimmerman
Visitor and Business Services Volunteer Coordinator-Janelle Leonard
Human Resources Manager of Volunteer Services-Jenny Hymans
Mobile app makes it easier to explore the outdoors
MetroParks' mobile app, powered by OuterSpatial, is free and available for both iPhone and Android devices. It includes offline mapping and navigation - and access continues even without a cell phone signal.
Use the app to plan your park visit, navigate the trails, take self-guided tours, find amenities and points of interest, and much more.
Stay active outdoors with resources on Nature is Open blog, social media
Five Rivers MetroParks' Nature Is Open blog includes articles about kid-friendly trails, Backyard Bingo cards, nature-based activities, and much more! Follow MetroParks on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for even more resources aimed at helping families connect with nature and stay active outdoors.
