Volunteerism in 2020

Volunteerism was significantly impacted in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteer Services collaborated with Leadership to create a Volunteer Re-Engagement Plan in response to the pandemic based on the recommendations and guidelines provided by the CDC, the Governor's Office, and local departments of Public Health. The plan aligned with the state advisory levels 1 through 4 limiting engagement to essential needs under the tightest restrictions and gradually loosening restrictions with each reduced level of advisory.
In a typical year, volunteer groups would have joined us in our annual day-of-service events including Adopt-A-Park and Make a Difference Day, and supported our annual agency events like the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience and Bike to Work Day among others. Additionally, our long-term volunteers would have continued to come out to support a variety of ongoing, year-round volunteer opportunities. This year, however, volunteer service was confined to the months of January-March for most volunteers. Only a few essential and/or autonomous volunteer opportunities were authorized throughout the pandemic including MetroParks Volunteer Patrol, Pond Patrol, and Conservation Caretakers, as well as animal care opportunities at the Carriage Hill Riding Center and Germantown MetroPark. Additional volunteer opportunities were identified and made available to volunteers beginning late Fall to support high-priority operational needs.
In addition to limited volunteer service, volunteer recruitment was also paused with one group of new volunteers onboarded virtually between March-December. Thus, new volunteer engagement declined in 2020 as well.
The bright spot in 2020 was the continued service of many dedicated volunteers; those who came out in support of essential and autonomous volunteer opportunities and operational needs. Volunteers continued to come out to care for our horses at the Carriage Hill Riding Center day after day, continued to monitor our trails and ponds for maintenance and safety issues ensuring a positive visitor experience, continued to care for our Wildlife Ambassadors and when the call was made to come back in support of operational needs including opening the2nd Street Market as an outdoor market, many volunteers did come back. We are so thankful for these dedicated volunteers!
As we bring this year to a close, we do so with a greater appreciation of what volunteer service means to our agency. With roughly one-quarter of a year's typical service, staff in the field have noted the difference volunteer support makes in all we do. We look ahead as a department and an agency to a stronger and safer 2021 and in great hopes of a full return to safe volunteer service.