Five Rivers MetroParks Volunteer Book

at Five Rivers MetroParks

metroparks.org

Make a Difference in Your Community!

When you volunteer at Five Rivers MetroParks, you provide an important public service: You get to educate and engage park visitors in the protection and stewardship of the natural and cultural heritage of the Miami Valley. More importantly, you can share your passion for nature with future generations.

Service learning programs offer a unique opportunity to get specific training while donating your time as a volunteer. Read on to learn more.

We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.

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Winston Churchill

What is Service Learning?

Five Rivers MetroParks’ service learning programs are designed to give volunteers training and hands-on learning in a variety of topics. As a service learning participant, you will receive specific training from MetroParks staff and local professionals. Courses are designed to develop a skilled volunteer corps that is trained in a specialized area of expertise. After the classroom learning is complete, students will get the opportunity to put their new skills to work and gain first-hand experience by donating between 25 and 50 hours of volunteer service to MetroParks.

Volunteer Commitment Service learning courses are designed to develop knowledge and skills that prepare volunteers for a higher level of volunteer service. Graduates work side by side with MetroParks staff, serve as leaders in the volunteer program, and become assets to the community.

Volunteer schedules can be flexible to fit your schedule. Volunteer projects also will vary with each program and some include partnership volunteer opportunities. Be sure to read the enclosed syllabus for details.

Some service learning courses offer an opportunity to recertify annually.

This allows volunteers to build on their knowledge through additional training and stay current within their course area. Refer to the individual course syllabus enclosed for recertification opportunities and criteria.

Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy.

You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.

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Marjorie Moore

Available Programs MetroParks offers a variety of course choices in the areas of horticulture, conservation, and natural and cultural history. No matter what your interest, there’s a service learning program that’s just right for you. Please see the individual course syllabus in the back of this publication for more details.

Horticulture Organic Methods Gardener Course Organic Methods Gardener students will be exposed to a variety of environmentally safe concepts in gardening and traditional concepts in horticulture. This 18-week, in-depth program includes quizzes, exams, a project and 50 hours of volunteer service.

In addition to classroom presentations, students will have the opportunity to attend hands-on field studies and observations.

Offered annually beginning in January. Fee $140.

Your Best Vegetable Course This five-session course in basic vegetable gardening covers composting and soils, planning, planting, pests and preserving your harvest. Course highlights include making homemade fruit preserves, a field trip to a small working farm, and garden layout tips. Offered annually in late winter. Twenty-five hours of volunteer service required. Fee $20.

Shady Business: Shade Garden Primer This six-session course will be an introduction to shade gardening, soils for successful shade gardening, care and maintenance, design techniques, and examples of woodland gardens. Participants will gain exposure to the ever-expanding palette of annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs suitable for the shade garden. New in spring 2012.

Twenty-five hours of volunteer service required. Fee $25.

Conservation Master Recycler Course This course is designed to provide a basic background in effective waste management techniques. Course participants will be exposed to a variety of activities involving recycling, reduction and reuse. Students are invited to participate in community recycling events, such as the Great American Clean Up, and MetroParks’ annual Adopt-A-Park. Past students have started recycling programs at churches, schools and workplaces. Offered annually in late winter. Twenty-five hours of volunteer service with Montgomery County Solid Waste District or Five Rivers MetroParks required. Fee $10.

MetroParks Volunteer Patrol Volunteer while doing what you love by joining MetroParks Volunteer Patrols (MVPs)! Join one of four patrols: bike, hike, mountain bike, or horse. You must provide your own equipment (bike, helmet, horse, etc.). MVPs provide trail users with information, communicate trail conditions to park personnel, and foster positive public interactions. Training begins in January/February with additional trainings offered during the spring. Courses will be offered as volunteers are needed for each patrol. An interview and 50 hours of volunteer service are required. No fee.

Master Silviculturist Local forests face unprecedented challenges due to invasive pests, such as the emerald ash borer. This course instructs nature lovers to become silviculturists, trained in the art of forest creation and maintenance. Students will receive in-depth knowledge of the forest types of the Miami Valley, invasive species impacting our forests, collection and propagation of native trees and shrubs, and techniques for successful reforestation. Most classes will be conducted in a classroom setting, but the course will include tours of current propagation projects and a field lab. Students will propagate seedlings, plant newly acquired lands with native trees and shrubs, and lead groups of volunteers. Offered twice annually; in late summer and early spring. Twenty-five hours of volunteer hours required. Fee $25.

Cultural and Natural History 19th Century Life Skills Course In this modern era, we are starting to find that many of the sustainable practices of the past can easily be applied today. Join us for a class entirely devoted to developing 19th Century skills. Participants may choose from an array of available sessions they would like to attend each week.

Topics covered include canning, butter and cheese making, blacksmithing, woodworking, and sausage making and smoking. Offered annually in the fall. Fifty hours of volunteer service required. Fee $35.

Get involved Don’t miss these opportunities to receive specialized training and get hands-on practice working alongside seasoned MetroParks staff through volunteering. For more information about service learning programs at Five Rivers MetroParks, visit metroparks.org/ volunteer or contact volunteers services at (937) 275- PARK (7275).

Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.

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Dr. Dorothy I. Height

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.

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Elizabeth Andrew

Administrative Office 1375 E. Siebenthaler Ave. Dayton, OH 45414 (937) 275-PARK www.metroparks.org

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