Supporting nature and fostering community: National Volunteer Week
Katelyn Freil, Marketing Specialist
National Volunteer Week is celebrated annually as an opportunity to reflect on the efforts of volunteers who make this world a better place. Summit Metro Parks programs, events, conservation efforts and more are possible in large part due to our dedicated and passionate volunteers, who in 2023, contributed a total of 18,823 hours to projects across the park district.
This National Volunteer Week, take a look at some of the impactful ways in which volunteers have made a difference in Summit Metro Parks, your back yard.
Supporting natural resources
“Volunteer plantings are some of the most impactful projects I get to participate in. Each volunteer group is different and comes with a range of skills and experiences. In discussing these projects and demonstrating project skills with volunteers, I get to see from different perspectives and see my work in a new light. We couldn’t achieve nearly as much in conservation without the many hands of our amazing volunteers.” — Chris Chaney, park biologist
From surveys of various wildlife to reforesting park areas, volunteers have a tremendous impact on a core element of the park district’s mission: conservation.
In 2023, volunteers planted 950 native plants in conservation areas and parks across the district, including Furnace Run Metro Park, Liberty Park, Sand Run Metro Park and near Nimisila Creek. The plantings were conducted in an effort to reforest previously cleared areas and to fill spaces where invasive species had been cleared by staff and volunteers.
The conservation efforts of volunteers go well beyond planting; surveys of native species also benefit from the hands of enthusiastic citizen scientists. From snakes and salamanders to bats and birds, volunteers have counted species, tracked movement and recorded nearly 5,000 wildlife observations in iNaturalist throughout 2023.
Connecting community & nature
“We love volunteering at Summit Metro Parks — especially our work with the Cycling Without Age trishaw program. Connecting with nature through volunteering is a joy in itself. Helping others who would not otherwise be able to take a ride around the park is icing on the cake. The happy, smiling faces of our riders speak louder than words.” — Andrea & Rick Bonesteel, volunteers since 2018 and 2021 respectively
Parks are for all people, and Summit Metro Parks staff and volunteers are dedicated to ensuring all people feel welcome. For the past two years, Cycling Without Age adaptive bicycle rides were made available at Music by the Lake concerts in Munroe Falls Metro Park. During the 2023 season, volunteers provided 62 trishaw rides to people with limited mobility, providing the feeling of cycling in the great outdoors.
Volunteer outreach spreads well beyond the parks. Park staff and volunteers attend community events throughout Summit County, answering questions about the Metro Parks, sharing resources to help residents grow a Wild Back Yard, sharing program information and more.
In addition to recurring volunteers, Summit Metro Parks welcomed 26 service groups throughout the year, who assisted with various projects including prepping parks for large events, collecting trash from along trails and sanding calendar stands to be given away to park patrons. Summit Metro Parks even hosted one Eagle Scout project in which the scout and fellow volunteers built a new bench and windbreak at Goodyear Heights Metro Park.
“We have enjoyed the parks since we moved to the area in 1990. As our kids grew, we always did the fall hiking spree together every year. Now that I am retired, volunteering in the Summit Metro parks enables me to give back. As a part of that, I have met many interesting people and have really enjoyed the educational programs that have enabled me to continue to learn and grow.” — Brian McCaffery, volunteer since 2023
Making music in the Metro Parks
“It is so energizing to make music outside, in the park. The music we make as people is just as real and natural as the music of the birds and the wind in the trees. It is so fitting to play in a park, and we are honored to join the chorus.”
— Paul Wilkerson, volunteer since 2002
The Metro Parks Ensemble formed more than 20 years ago and has since performed for thousands of people across the Metro Parks and the community. This all-volunteer band welcomes musicians of all ages and skill levels, and plays various types of music. In 2023, the Metro Parks Ensemble performed eight concerts for a total of 1,279 visitors who heard everything from classic pieces to a compilation of ABBA’s greatest hits.
“Working with a group of over 40 dedicated Metro Parks Ensemble and support crew volunteers for concerts has been a great pleasure over the years. Watching the audience reactions at each of their performances reminds me of the joy they bring to so many concert goers. Some members have been playing for over 20 years in the parks and at nearby venues.” — Christy Counterman, Marketing Assistant
Make a difference: Become a volunteer
Would you like to become one of the many hundred volunteers who make a difference in Summit Metro Parks everyday? Sign up to learn more about opportunities for individuals and groups, and keep an eye on our social media to learn more about large volunteer projects open to the community.
Nature enthusiasts can also become citizen scientists by sharing wildlife observations with the park district’s iNaturalist projects.
