Welcome to the Propagation Operation or PropOps for short. Our goal is to propagate native plants to be used for restoration and conservation projects throughout the district. In addition to trees and shrubs, volunteers will be growing herbaceous plants as well at the Barbara Cox Center for Sustainable Horticulture at Cox Arboretum MetroPark.
Impact
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.
Tasks
Under the supervision of the assigned staff, volunteers will support and assist with the following:
- Transplanting propagated trees and small herbaceous plugs to be later planted throughout the parks.
- Maintain tree and herbaceous seedlings by watering, fertilizing, weeding, etc.
Eligibility
-
This opportunity is open to the following volunteers: Teens and adults (ages 14 and older), Long-Term, and Short-Term. Learn more about our types of service here.
- Youth Volunteers: Youth volunteers ages 14-17 are not required to complete a background check. If you are a new youth volunteer contact volunteer.services@metroparks.org to have your background check waived.
Additional Notes
- Parking & Meeting Instructions: Click here for a map of Cox Arboretum. Volunteers should park in the main lot in front of the visitor center at 6733 N Springboro Pike, Dayton, Ohio (Cox Arboretum MetroPark). Follow the paved path to the left of the Visitor Center, leading you around and behind the visitor center where a staff person will be waiting for you inside or near the greenhouse.
- Cancelation: If you need to cancel a shift last minute or are running late, please call Volunteer Services, at 937-275-7275.
- Environment & Physical Demands: This project takes place primarily indoors, inside the greenhouse. However, if the weather is nice or if the project demands, staff may open greenhouse bay doors, and ask to volunteer both indoors and outdoors. Please be aware of outdoor exposure risks (i.e. sun, etc.), and of seasonal allergies (i.e., grass, pollen, bees, etc.).
- Dress: Volunteers should dress for the weather, dress in layers, wear long pants, and closed-toe shoes (sneakers/tennis shoes), and have their favorite work gloves, and a pre-filled water bottle.
