Enhance Recreation through Volunteerism

by Michelle Stacy-Schroeder, Recreation Services Administrative Supervisor, City of Prescott

You may have heard the phrase “it takes a village” usually when people are talking about raising a family, hectic work schedules and other adventures that life throws at us.

Recreation Services in the City of Prescott is no different. We use that same “village” in the form of volunteers who assist our staff with projects and maintenance. These volunteers have long been an essential part of the Recreation Services, allowing us to provide an improved quality of life for our residents and guests.

While each volunteer group is different, the overall mission is the same: to construct, operate and maintain parks, recreation facilities, programming, trails and open space in a safe, aesthetically pleasing and efficient manner.

Here are a few of the volunteer opportunities we have and what they do.

Volunteer park rangers: This group of volunteers assist staff with replacing doggie poo bags at city parks, filling map boxes and reporting maintenance issues at city parks and trails. They are critical to ensure that facilities and natural resources in parks and trails are maintained at the highest level.

Rangers assist with providing safe and enjoyable parks through consistent patrols, assisting visitors with directions, parking, park rules and basic first aid.

Over the Hill Gang volunteers: This volunteer group is dedicated to the construction and maintenance of the Greater Prescott Area trails. The group was established in the 1990s in conjunction with Yavapai Trails Association and the Prescott National Forest.

Trail work is on Mondays and Fridays with the City of Prescott and Thursdays with the Prescott National Forest. There are often special projects on other days.

Dog Park volunteers: The dog park volunteer maintenance team conducts routine maintenance every Monday morning. The first Monday of the month staff joins them with large equipment, and no dogs are allowed. Otherwise, dogs can come with the owners on maintenance days.

The Recreation Services Department has other volunteer opportunities such as the Special Needs Activity Program, which offers recreational programs for individuals with mental and physical handicaps. Their continuing goal is to be more active in the Prescott community. There are monthly bingo nights, craft nights, dances and social nights out, plus more special events.

If you are interested learning more about these and other volunteer programs, please contact the Recreation Services Department at 928.777.1121.