Published May 8, 2019
Office Park
Heads up! This article was published 5 years ago.
Strengthen your work team while supporting your parks.
Your Five Rivers MetroParks includes 18 parks, 160 miles of managed trails and 270 miles of river corridor — meaning parks and conservation staff have full plates when it comes to keeping those green spaces, waterways and habitats beautiful and thriving. It also means volunteer groups are integral to tackling important projects. Increasingly, those groups are from local businesses.
“It’s a nice change of pace, and people are excited to get outside,” said MetroParks volunteer coordinator Janelle Leonard. “You’re team building while giving back to the community, so it’s beneficial to both employees and MetroParks.”
Many local businesses — including U.S. Bank, Vecten, Lord Corp., Spectrum Brands and LexisNexis — commit to days of service in MetroParks. Groups also volunteer during annual agency-wide service days, such as Adopt-A-Park in April and Make a Difference Day in October.
Most often, groups are needed to tackle things like trail work, invasive species removal, and garden and horticulture facility maintenance. Groups also are needed to help with events, including the Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience the first weekend in October and conservation initiatives like fall nut collecting. Volunteer projects are available year-round but are particularly important from spring through fall.
For those looking to volunteer with MetroParks as part of an employee service day, Leonard suggests starting by creating a plan. Decide how many volunteers would like to participate and in which MetroPark. If you are not familiar with your closest MetroPark, perhaps plan to visit.
Group requests can be made online by filling out the group volunteer application. Leonard suggest submitting requests six weeks ahead of your desired volunteer date. Very large groups of employees may be asked to split the days into shifts.
Save the Date: Make a Difference Day
October 26, 9 AM to noon
Grab your co-workers to volunteer during one of MetroParks’ annual days of service, helping with projects in multiple parks and conservation areas!
Get Out & Volunteer
A great way to give back to nature is by volunteering throughout the year! Attend a free orientation session to learn more about Five Rivers MetroParks’ volunteer opportunities, and check pages 18-38 for more volunteer programs. Attending an orientation doesn’t commit you to anything, but it does give an overview of location-specific opportunities and an introduction to opportunities this season.
Volunteer orientations are for people 18 and older and are held at Five Rivers MetroParks headquarters, 409 E. Monument Ave., third floor. Call (937) 275-PARK or visit metroparks.org/volunteer to register.
