Volunteer Spotlight! Deanna Geiger
Many thanks to Deanna and her more than 500 volunteer hours of service at Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail!
Deanna started volunteering in August of 2007 and has provided many hours of hard animal care work at the zoo since then. An Athens, GA native, Deanna has been going to the zoo since she was a little girl and has fond memories of seeing the animals there. Like many children, Deanna always dreamed of working with animals in some capacity and a couple of years ago after some big life changes, she took the first step to make that a reality. Deanna has worked as a bookkeeper in the past and is exploring new job options right now. Deanna finds her work with the animals therapeutic and a great stress-reliever. Deanna spends anywhere from 4-7 hours at the zoo every Tuesday on various types of caretaking for animals including: the bears, red-tail hawks, oppossum, turkey, deer and more . She prepares their food, cleans their areas, monitors their health and notes any abnormal behavior. As part of her animal care duties, she fills out daily reports which the zoo coordinator reads to ensure that the animals are comfortable and healthy. As the seasons change, so do the animals and Deanna takes particular note of how the animals are responding to these changes, and how they can be stressful for the animal. Deanna is amazed by the animals and finds that even as an adult, she has retained her ‘sense of wonder’ by being around the creatures. She would not profess to liking any particular animal more than another, but did say that she is not so interested in the snakes. She finds volunteering at the zoo a great way to give back. She especially enjoys interacting with zoo patrons and loves it when people and especially kids, watch her do her work and follow her from animal to animal. Deanna likes answering their questions and telling them about the animals. Berkeley Boone, Zoo Coordinator, stated that “Deanna has been an asset to the Zoo’s volunteer program, she is passionate about providing the best possible care to the animals and continuously enthusiastic about working with the animals.”
Volunteer Pathways Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 118 Athens, GA
205 Old Commerce Road Athens, GA 30607 www.volunteernaturallyathens.com or Current Resident
Chili Cook-off Friday Dec. 4th 6-8pm Memorial Park, Be there! Friends and family welcome! 4
VOLUNTEER
NEWSLETTER Volume 22, Issue 4, December 2009
WILDLIFE TRAIL
ACC Leisure Services Natural Resources Athens, GA
PAT H WA Y S www.VolunteerNaturallyAthens.com
w w w . v o l u n t e e r n a t u r a l l y a t h e n s . c o m
New Zoo Volunteer Training in Februrary
More Invasions of the Forest Snatchers!
We are changing our zoo volunteer program and will be adding more volunteer positions. These positions will be in animal care as well as in what is called the “Open Classroom.” The animal care program will be subdivided into three categories: reptiles, mammals and birds. Training will include an initial 2-3 hour session followed by at least three supervised ‘apprentice’ sessions. Finally, the volunteer will be assigned to a specific time slot and day based on our needs and the volunteer’s schedule.
Are you looking for something fun to do on a Saturday Morning? Do you have some stress to burn off? Want to skip the gym? Try our Ongoing Invasive Plant Species Removal days!
Pull out Privet! Yank out English Ivy! Kill off Kudzu! Exercising and Volunteering in one.
Animal care is a popular volunteer activity and we have to be selective about our volunteers. Due to this popularity, we have established minimum volunteer time periods and an additional application. Volunteers must be able and willing to commit to at least six months of work.
Every Saturday at Memorial Park or on the Greenway. See inside for more details! Find us on Facebook at Memorial Park Weed Warriors. Supervised children are welcome. (Kids love hands on hard work.) Great project for big groups.
Our ‘Open Classroom’ program is basically opening up the reptile house at the zoo for visitors. As we are have limited staff available, we can not open it every day. However, we currently open it on Sunday afternoons and would like to extend the hours to other afternoons. Volunteers interested in learning about snake handling and/or just hanging out there and doing crafts would be appreciated.
9 am- 12 pm, Saturday Mornings
CHILI DINNER
See inside for more details! Contact Leslie if you are interested!
2009 Volunteer Hours Served Sandy Creek Park- 558 North Oconee Rivers Greenway- 340 Bear Hollow/Memorial Park- 2,300 Sandy Creek Nature Center- 3,892
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Volunteeer Opportunities
December 2009
Christmas Bird Count for Kids Saturday Dec. 5, at Sandy Creek Nature Center, 9am-Noon We need 2-3 bird-loving volunteers to help our young birdwatchers join the annual Xmas bird count. Geocaching Adventures on the Greenway Sat. Dec. 5, 12:30-3:00pm, Greenway 1-2 volunteers needed to help teach participants how to use a GPS and find some geocached material.
January 2010
Invasive Crafts! Thurs. Jan. 7th, 10am-12pm, The Greenway This is truly a trash to treasures event. Take invasive plant species harvested on the greenway and make beautiful holiday crafts out of them! New Volunteer Orientation Sat. Jan. 23rd, 1-2 pm, Sandy Creek Nature Center For new volunteers to learn about volunteer opportunities! Please tell your friends!
Breakfast with Santa Dec. 12, 8-11:30 am, Sandy Creek Nature Center Help out with crafts, breakfast and pictures as kids come to see; and have breakfast with Kris Kringle. We need 5-6 volunteers! Elves Workshop Fri. Dec. 18, 3:00-6:30 pm, Sandy Creek Park Help kids make holiday gifts and crafts at this fun session, two volunteers needed. Archery for Beginners Sat. Dec. 12th, 12:30-3 pm or 2:30-5pm, Sandy Creek Park Two volunteers needed for each of two sessions to assist as kids learn archery skills.
Family Program, “Log House, Tales from the Past” Sat. Jan. 23rd, 1:30-4:30pm, Sandy Creek Nature Center We need 2 volunteers to help with storytelling, games and cooking over an open fire! Tikes, Trikes and Strollers Wed. Jan. 26th, 12:30-2:30 pm, Greenway Help pre-school aged children decorate and race their bikes along an obtacle course!
Geocaching Adventures on the Greenway Tikes, Trikes and Strollers Sat. Jan. 30th, 12:30-3:00pm, Greenway Thursday, Dec. 17th, 9:30-11:30 am, Greenway 1-2 volunteers needed to help teach participants how to use a Help pre-school aged children decorate and race their bikes GPS and find some geocached material. along an obtacle course! Wilderness Skills Sat. Dec. 19th, 8:30-11:00, Sandy Creek Park 1 volunteer needed to assist with this program.
Naturalist Assistant Program Training
Breakfast with Santa! Memorial Park Sat. Dec. 19th, 8:30-11:15am Eight or nine volunteers needed to assist with this Christmas craft, activity and breakfast!
Sat. January 30th, 1-5 pm Sandy Creek Nature Center
This training is to start high-school aged kids as volunteers and members of SCNC’s NAP program. Teens can volunteer by themselves, attend meetings and trips.
Invasive Crafts! Tues. Dec. 22, 10am-12pm, The Greenway Take invasive plant species harvested on the greenway and make beautiful holiday crafts out of them!
Prairie Work Day! Saturday December 5th 1-5pm
Mini-Camp- “Gifts from Nature” Dec. 29, 30 and 31 Sandy Creek Nature Center, 9am-1pm
We need 2-4 volunteers each day to help with this camp for 4-12 year olds. Crafts, games and more!
Sandy Creek Nature Center Help us clear out the prairie and make it beautiful. Hot Chocolate and cookies provided, Children are welcome Please let me know if you will make it.
Call Leslie at (706)613-3615 ext 227 or email at leslieboby@co.clarke.ga.us to sign up or for more
information!
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Volunteeer Opportunities
Ongoing Volunteer Activities
February 2010
Groundhog Day at the Zoo! Tuesday, Feb. 2, 9-11:00 am, Memorial Park/Zoo Groundhogs abound! Live feeding, crafts, games and more. Three or four volunteers are needed to assist in this program.
Zoo Open Classrooms Sundays
Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail/Memorial Park Sundays, 1-3 pm. Hang out in the reptile house and interact with the public. Do crafts if you like and learn a little about Invasive Crafts! handling snakes and reptiles. We have information Thurs. Feb. 11th, 10am-12pm, The Greenway on the animals that you can use to educate yourself This is truly a trash to treasures event, take invasive plant species and visitors! harvested on the greenway and make beautiful holiday crafts out of them!
Tikes, Trikes and Strollers Tues. Feb. 16th, 12:30-2:30 pm, Greenway Help pre-school aged children decorate and race their bikes along an obtacle course!
Habitat restoration & Invasives Control! Memorial Park:
Starwatch, Winter Night Watch Fri. Feb. 19th, 6:30-9 pm One or two volunteers needed for this night time program. See the night sky!
Greenway
1st and 4th saturdays, 9-Noon Dec. 5, 19th, Jan. 2, 16th, Feb. 6, 20th
2nd and 4th Saturdays, 9:00 am- Noon Dec. 12, Jan. 9, 23, Feb. 13, 27 Geocaching Adventures on the Greenway Get your hands dirty removSat. Feb. 20th, 12:30-3:00pm, Greenway ing invasive plant species and 1-2 volunteers needed to help teach participants how to use planting native vegetation. Our GPS’s and find some geocached material. goal is to begin restoring the natural vegetation at Memorial Park and the Greenway and we need your help! Great project for groups as well! TRAIL GUIDE TRAINING AT
SANDY CREEK NATURE CENTER
Do you have time on any weekday mornings: Tuesday-Friday?
Do you like working with kids?
Do you like to spend time outside? No experience necessary, we will train you! TRAINING BEGINS: Thursday, February 25 Friday, February 26 Saturday, February 27
Find us on From your facebook page, search for
Volunteer Naturally Athens and become a FAN
Training Dates at Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail Each training program is linked to specific volunteer times and is independent of the others. Please contact Leslie for more details on how to sign up Open Classroom, Feb. 6th 10-11:30am Reptile Care, Feb. 6th 12-2pm Mammal Care, Feb. 20th 9am-12pm Bird Care, Feb. 20th 12:30pm-3pm
Looking for Leadership Roles?
We have many opportunities to take a leadership role in volunteering! 1. Working on Newsletters
2. Intern Positions for school credit!
3. Educational signs for Invasive Species 3