For this month's Staff Lead Bingo*, Cox Arboretum Horticulturalist Todd Strong shares how the dedication of Cox's gardening volunteers and Garden Ambassadors has continued to grow throughout the season, creating an impact that reaches well beyond the garden beds.
"It has been hot, and it has continued to rain bringing along humid, sometimes uncomfortable weather. While the weather has been hot, humid, and less than ideal for us, it has been great for plant growth! That means weeds haven't stopped, but lucky for us, neither have our volunteers! Our dedicated volunteers here at Cox Arboretum show up weekly no matter the temperature (although we encourage all volunteers and staff leads to monitor conditions and plan accordingly). It is this kind of dedication that keeps our park looking so beautiful. We love our volunteers and appreciate their hard work!
I especially want to highlight our Garden Ambassadors. This year we have onboarded several new Ambassadors for the Maimon Memorial Garden (MMG). The Garden Ambassadors focus their efforts in the MMG, helping with weeding, planting, harvesting, and much more. This group has been instrumental in the success of the garden and our ability to donate produce to our community. At the time of writing this, we have donated over 870lbs since May this year with more being donated weekly. Our last delivery was our largest yet, topping 200lbs for a single week. This puts us 300lbs ahead of last year to date. This is no small feat, and it couldn't be done without our dedicated volunteers. Even though the summer months can be a little warm, the work never stops, and neither do our volunteers. I want to extend my gratitude to all the volunteers at Cox Arboretum, and throughout the entirety of Five Rivers MetroParks!!! Your hard work and the relationships that are built are treasured by all of us at Five Rivers! Thank you for everything you do!!!" - Todd Strong, Horticulturalist and Staff Lead, Cox Arboretum MetroPark
*Staff Lead Bingo is a game organized by Volunteer Services for all staff who engage and lead volunteers. It encourages them to think about how they are engaging and leading volunteers, to make time for volunteer communication and appreciation, and to share what they are learning with other staff leads. Staff Leads who submit a bingo (5 volunteer engagement activities in a row) are entered into a raffle where they can win great prizes for their volunteers. View more Volunteer Spotlights in our blog here.
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