Fall officially begins on September 22, but all the colors may peak well into the season. Color is often dependent on the weather. Red hues are produced by warm, sunny fall days with cooler nights.  Get out and explore the fall colors at MetroParks:  Discover Fall at MetroParks

In this edition of the Volunteer Newsletter:

FEATURE

Calling all MetroParks Fans and Photogs! We Want YOUR Favorite Photos of Your MetroParks!

SUSTAINABILITY TIP

Be Water Wise at Home

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Wendy DelRe - Connecting Kids with Nature

SEPTEMBER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Fall Opportunities Loading including Make A Difference Day!

GET CONNECTED TECH TIP

Qualifications! Why are they Important?

STAFF LEAD HIGHLIGHT

Pam Lyons Gromen, Education Coordinator & Staff Lead

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

Thank You Small Farm & Food Fest Volunteers, plus VIP Benefits!

PARKWAYS ONLINE

Stay Updated with the Latest MetroParks News!

Feature: Calling MetroParks Fans and Photogs! We want YOUR favorite photos of your MetroParks!

Water Conservation

Thank you, Wendy, for your outstanding commitment, dedication, and service to Five Rivers MetroParks!

 If you share an interest in working with youth and are interested in joining Wendy as a School Program Volunteer, view the upcoming training for School Programs.

Volunteer Positions & Upcoming Opportunities

Fall Volunteer Opportunities Loading!

Your Five Rivers MetroParks has plenty of Fall volunteer opportunities to help you get outside and give back in one of our most beautiful seasons including Make A Difference Day, Carriage Hill Riding Center Barn Aide Trainings, and School Programs Training! Check out the upcoming volunteer opportunities below and sign up to make a difference supporting your MetroParks. See something that interests you but have questions? Contact us at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or #937-275-7275.

 View our high-need, high-priority volunteer opportunities here and wherever you see this symbol below. Don't forget to FAN the volunteer positions you are most interested in supporting. This will ensure you receive timely information about the opportunities that interest you most!

Animal Care 

Animal Care volunteers support staff in caring for farm animals and wildlife animal ambassadors at a variety of our parks. These animals support MetroParks' mission by connecting the public to nature and education on local history, conservation, and small site sustainability. 

Norma Dycus, Carriage Hill Riding Center volunteer, enjoys the exercise and fresh farm air as she cleans up after the horses.

"Always excellent. Staff at Carriage Hill are professional, informed, and friendly. Love volunteering there and being around the horses & ponies." -Barn Aide Volunteer

NEW! Carriage Hill Riding Center Barn Aide Training:

Calling all Horse Lovers! Fall Onboarding for NEW Carriage Hill Riding Center Volunteers! Do you love being around horses? Don't mind getting your hands dirty? Consider joining our team of Carriage Hill Riding Center volunteers!

Barn Aide volunteers assist with the essential daily tasks of an equestrian facility including cleaning stalls, turning horses out to pasture, feeding and watering horses, and more. All new Riding Center volunteers begin as Barn Aides, and then can complete additional training to assist with Pony Rides, Lessons, Camps, and Trail Rides. These opportunities are open to long-term volunteers and some short-term volunteers ages 14 and up.

Learn more by clicking the green RSVP button below and sign up for an upcoming training. 

Conservation 

Protecting open space and natural areas is a priority for Five Rivers MetroParks, which protects nearly 16,000 acres of land - 90 percent of it in its natural state. Conservation volunteers are a part of our regional conservation story by assisting in implementing a variety of natural area management plans.  

Volunteer Beth Hartzler gets in the thick of things with invasive species removal.

"Always have a great time! It's very rewarding and we have a great little group going!" - Invasive Species Removal Volunteer

Corridor Clearing and Invasive Species Removal: 

Get your workout while helping us weed out unwanted guests! We need your help to reclaim our trail corridor by cutting and removing invasive species from these important conservation areas. Not only will you be getting a great workout, but you'll be doing your part to keep our parks healthy and thriving. Let's work together to protect the natural beauty of our parks and protect our native plants and wildlife.

Learn more and sign up to make a difference 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.

Wegerzyn Gardening Angels volunteers, Mary Dye, Connie Sink, and Patti Erbaugh, help weed an area by the greenhouse.

"Weeding many areas to keep the park beautiful takes a lot of work by staff and volunteers but it is worth it. Love the staff, I have learned much from them." -Gardening Volunteer

Gardening Across Our MetroParks: 

As the summer days start to mellow, and the air gets that perfect hint of crispness, it's the ideal time to give our beloved garden spaces a little extra love. With the temperatures becoming more comfortable, it's easier than ever to get your hands dirty, plant some late bloomers, and tidy up those beds for the season ahead.

Our gardening projects are in full swing, and we'd love for you to join us in making the most of this beautiful time of year. Whether you're deadheading flowers, pulling weeds, or planting a few new perennials, there's no better way to enjoy the crisp-end-of-summer days than by nurturing our green spaces.

Join us for gardening opportunities at these locations:

Aullwood Garden

Adventure Central

Carriage Hill

Cox Arboretum

Possum Creek

RiverScape & Urban Gardens

Wegerzyn Gardens

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

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. 

Volunteers support Hills & Dales MetroPark at our annual service events and at regular workdays scheduled throughout the year.

"We sanded and stained the railings around the Observation Tower."- Hills & Dales Workday Volunteer

Hills and Dales Workdays:

Are you a nature lover with a passion for making a difference? If so, we've got the perfect opportunity for you! It's time to roll up your sleeves and dive into the beauty of Hills and Dales with our upcoming volunteer workdays. Whether you're a seasoned green thumb or just curious to learn something new, this is your chance to dig in - literally! From gardening and tree planting, to tackling invasive species and spreading mulch, there's a task for every skill level. And the best part? You'll be playing a vital role in preserving the natural beauty of this beloved community park for generations to come.  

Learn more and sign up to make a difference by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below. 

Volunteer Matt McCurry helps to clean the 2nd Street Market during his Market Custodial shift.

Market Custodial Support: 

Love spending time at the 2nd Street Market? Want to give back to this awesome community hub? Well, do we have the perfect opportunity for you! We're on the lookout for some extra helping hands to tackle custodial tasks on weekend afternoons. Picture this: you'll be the superhero of cleanliness, keeping the market clean and tidy during operating hours, with some light sweeping, table tidying, and trash removal after closing. And the best part? You'll be doing it all indoors, so you can stay cool and comfortable while contributing to the community, making it a great option for those who want to give back but prefer to avoid the unpredictable late summer weather!

Learn more and sign up to make a difference by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below. 

Trail maintenance includes pushing back some of the plants from the mowed paths and removing some of the invasive species. Thanks to our volunteers, the public can enjoy our many trails at MetroParks.

"Everyone was very nice and worked well together...It was well organized...we had all the tools we needed and knew where we were going and what to do. I look forward to helping again." - Trail Maintenance Volunteer

Trail Maintenance:

**Calling all trailblazers!** Ready to get your hands dirty and make a real impact? Join us for our trail maintenance workdays, where you'll team up with our expert trail technicians to build and maintain the best trails around! From shaping sustainable paths to clearing out overgrown trail corridors, you'll be the hero our trails deserve!

Whether you're a seasoned pro or a curious newbie, there's a spot for you at Twin Valley, Possum Creek, Sugarcreek, and MoMBA. So, lace up those boots, grab a friend, and let's hit the trails together! Your community - and Mother Nature - will thank you!

Join us for trail maintenance workdays at these locations: 

Trail Maintenance - Twin Valley

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 Cheryl Williams enjoys time with the kids and helping them finish their homework at Adventure Central.

Adventure Central Program Assistant:

Love kids? Spend your time handing out with some of the coolest kids in Dayton! The after-school school program at Adventure Central promotes positive youth development, education, and leadership skills using an environmental foundation in a safe, fun, active park setting. Program Assistants assist kids in the homework room, assist in the kitchen during mealtime, and help monitor outdoor play often joining a game of kickball or foursquare.

Learn more about this fun opportunity by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below. 

The current school program volunteers enjoy training together and having their own new discoveries!

"The creek was a bit dry, but the kids were still really happy with all the frogs and toads!" - School Program Volunteer

School Program Volunteers:

Do you enjoy helping kids learn about nature, encouraging their natural curiosity and excitement about new discoveries? Join our School Programs volunteer team! School Program volunteers support a variety of school programs including field trips offered year- round in our parks. No previous teaching experience is required. Volunteer trainings are happening now! 

Learn more by clicking the green RSVP button below and sign up for an upcoming training. 

"Always great!" - Fishing Program Support Volunteer

Program Support & Program Assistants:

Volunteers are needed to support the active program areas at this year's Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience. These "try its" are designed to help our community safely explore fun outdoor activities and learn new skills. Volunteers in these areas are critical to ensuring a safe, fun experience at this event. 

Join us for these programming opportunities at the event: 

Try Paddlesports

Staff Lead Deb Spencer shows volunteers that historic interpreters can play games with guests and for some, bring back fond memories.

"Began volunteering at Carriage Hill again after being away for 12 years. Was good getting reacquainted with the farm." -Historic Interpreter Volunteer

Historic Interpreters:

Help us bring history to life at the historic farm at Carriage Hill MetroPark this season! No previous teaching or public presentation experience is needed - we'll train you! All interpretive volunteers on the farm begin as Historic Interpreters and then can complete additional training to become a House Demonstrator, Historic Woodworker, or Historic Blacksmith. 

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

Special Events

Five Rivers MetroParks provides an array of outdoor events and large programs throughout the year for residents of the Miami Valley to get connected to recreation, music, history, family, and most of all nature. Special Event volunteers serve a critical role in ensuring that each special event or large-scale program runs smoothly from set-up to tear down. 

The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience: 

Do you like working behind the scenes to help make the excitement of an event happen? 

Maybe you're enthusiastic about sharing outdoor adventuring with your community? Whatever your reason for volunteering, we've got the opportunity for you at the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience!

• Be a part of our Event Setup Team and help build the event footprint! Event Setup volunteers help build the event by setting up various areas such as the Exhibitor Village, Info Central, Bike Village, Action Sports Area, Youth Zone, etc. Volunteers also assist in unloading, organizing, and securing equipment in appropriate areas.

• The many exhibitors present at The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience offer activities, shopping, entertainment, and information to a host of visitors. Help get vendors settled into their event space by helping with checking, unloading materials, setting up booth spaces as part of the Exhibitor Support and Setup Team.

• Cleaning up is just as important as setup! Help return the park to its original state after the event by being a part of the Event Tear Down Team. Teardown volunteer support and assist with deconstructing the event by tearing down various areas around the park. 

View all available opportunities and shifts for this exciting event by clicking the blue VOLUNTEER button below!

Get Connected Tech Tip: Qualifications! Why are they Important?

If you have responded to one of our long-term or short-term volunteer opportunities, you have completed a series of qualifications. Qualifications are requirements set up to be completed in the Get Connected site before you can complete a response to a volunteer opportunity and sign up. All of our long-term and most short-term volunteer opportunities require a complete Volunteer Profile with your name, mailing address, phone number, email, birth date, emergency contact information, and photo, and a signed Volunteer Handbook. Additionally, these opportunities require an eligible background check completed with our partner Sterling Volunteers. Opportunities that require a background check are designated by the "ST" next to the volunteer opportunity title. Some volunteer opportunities, public volunteer opportunities, do not require any qualifications.

Some volunteer opportunities require additional training and/or annual check off of skills. To view the qualifications for each volunteer opportunity, simply scroll down to the Qualifications section in the opportunity listing under Shifts and before Additional Details. Most training and annual check off qualifications will expire after a year or with each new calendar year.

To view your completed qualifications, go to your volunteer account menu (next to your photo or initials) and click "Qualifications". Scroll down to the bottom of this list to see the qualifications you have completed, view expiration dates, and more. 

If you have questions about qualifications, reach out to your Volunteer Services team for assistance at volunteer.services@metroparks.org or call #937-275-7275 and ask to speak with a Volunteer Coordinator. 

View more Get Connected Tech Tips on our Volunteer Blog here.

We are fortunate to have dedicated staff who truly bring our mission to life, help connect individuals to nature and support our efforts in our community. Pam Lyons Gromen joined the Outdoor Education team last Fall and is the staff lead working with the schools and teachers to have a more engaging outdoor classroom at MetroParks. 

Pam attributes the start of her passion for nature to "an extraordinary 5th grade teacher who organized and led family field trips to the Delaware Bay, scheduling the adventures during low tides where a whole new world was revealed beneath the water. These experiences sparked my interest in ocean life and led to a degree in marine science and a fruitful career in public aquariums and environmental advocacy." She discovered Richard Louv's book Last Child in the Woods when her son was born and was struck by what he described as "nature deficit disorder", a psychological, physical, and cognitive costs of human alienation from nature, particularly for children in their vulnerable developing years. Pam returned to college to earn a degree in education to be a part of the nature-based learning movement and create environmental education opportunities for our school communities. She shares, "As an Outdoor Education Coordinator, my position is dedicated to school engagement, and I serve as the point person for resources, training, and programs for students and teachers." She says, "Field trip day is my favorite day at work. Our guided field trips would not be possible without our school program volunteers. They lead field trip activities with such joy and creativity that it is contagious to teachers and their students. When students leave us with big smiles on their faces, saying things like "That was the best day! I want to come back!" I know we are making a difference. That's a good day!"

As a Staff Lead, Pam works to create meaningful and enjoyable opportunities for volunteers, so as she says, "they want to come back again and again." Pam credits the current team of school program volunteers with tremendous experience, knowledge, and skill. She says she sees her role as "setting the stage for their talents to shine through organization, clear communication, and regular opportunities to share feedback and learn new strategies for working with children of all abilities and ages."

When Pam joined the MetroParks team in the Fall of last year, she was grateful to these volunteers who warmly welcomed her and offered help as she stepped into her new position. She shared, "Their ideas, experience, and enthusiasm made for a truly outstanding Spring field trip season. We hosted hundreds of school children from preschool through high school." School program opportunities go well beyond field trips, and she is thankful for the volunteers who support her and assist with Teacher's Night Out programs, OUTstanding Teacher Awards, and the development of educational materials. As a staff lead, she strives to support her volunteers through well-planned programs that result in a wonderful experience for our guests. Pam said she "genuinely loves and believes in what we do as a team, and I am so grateful for their service."

Pam feels at Five Rivers MetroParks, we have undertaken a big and important mission, to provide outdoor experiences that inspire a personal connection with nature. She shared that "With over 100,000 children in Montgomery County alone, we need our schools and teachers to join us in our mission to connect children to nature in a way that is personal and authentic." 

Because of volunteers who support our mission, we can offer free and engaging school programs in our MetroParks and partner with teachers to get their students outdoors and engaged with nature to reap its many befits. Pam's dedication to her work and our volunteers embodies the spirit of Five Rivers MetroParks. Her commitment to building relationships and engaging with the community ensure that we are welcoming for everyone.

Thank you, Pam, for being a true supporter of volunteers and volunteerism at MetroParks!

Join Pam at the opportunities with our astronomy kit, teacher's night out support or by joining this fall's school program volunteer training! View School Program Volunteer Training here.

Thank you for volunteering!

 Special thank you to this year's Small Farm and Food Fest volunteers! Events like this one wouldn't be possible without YOU!

Special Event, Program Support and Ambassador Volunteers: Ginny Wood, Rick Asamoto, Sean Finnigan, Tamilee, Jeremy, Henry and Maya Holbrook, Jannice Larkin, Jamalee Stone, Colleen Girard, Corinne Smith, Vickie Wong, Ashley Dale, Kathy Snodgrass, Kathleen Walter, Brenda Dowdy, Kathy VonderBrink, Christina Delort, Dianne Pieratt, Treva Pickenpaugh, Sue Steinke, Wendy DelRe, Heidi Riffle, Brian Butcher,  Art Powell, David and Adam Beane, Jim Wellman, Jeanne Boeke, Roslyn Prigg, John and Martie Szelog

Historic Interpreter and Skilled Trades Volunteers: Amber Scalf, Charlie Wiltrout, Ron Brown, Larry Lehman, Cherie Kuhn, Steve McNew, Maddie Mobarry, Ellen Eveland, Amy Korpieski, Bobbi Beyer, Bill Macek, James Fiene, Frank Beitel, and Dan Richardson

VIP Benefits:

Volunteer Discounts - Are you using yours? Find upcoming programs here. Contact Volunteer Services for more information about these great new benefits for our most dedicated volunteers.

VIP Item Request Form - Have you hit a service milestone with us? Volunteers with 25 hours or more qualify for volunteer apparel including shirts, hats, and milestone service pins. Request yours here today!

 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 (PARK). 

Join us at an upcoming Volunteer Open House! 

Your Volunteer Services Team

Yvonne Dunphe - Outdoor Connections Programming #(937) 277-4147 

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

Janelle Leonard - Administration & Animal Care #(937) 277-5445 

Amanda Wheatley - Ambassador & Special Events #(937) 277-4109 

Jenny Hymans - Human Resources Manager of Volunteer Services #(937) 567-1413