Volunteering Naturally Newsletter Summer 2015

Summer 2015

UPCOMING EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES JUNE 6

Healthy Planet, Healthy People

ROCKY RIVER RESERVATION

JUNE 11-AUG 13 EVERY THURSDAY

EdgewaterLIVE

JUNE 12-AUG 14 EVERY FRIDAY

Euclid Beach LIVE

LAKEFRONT RESERVATION EUCLID CREEK RESERVATION

JUNE 21

Knee High Naturalists

AUGUST 15

Reptiles, Amphibians and Fun

SOUTH CHAGRIN RESERVATION

SOUTH CHAGRIN RESERVATION

AUGUST 23

Dog Paddle & Pet-A-Palooza

HINCKLEY RESERVATION

SEPTEMBER 19

As noted in the Winter/Spring newsletter, development of the Volunteer Services Strategic Plan is nearing completion. By July, volunteers will be asked to participate in a Volunteer Survey. The survey will provide volunteers with an opportunity to share feedback on overall satisfaction with the organization, staff and volunteer activities. In addition, your feedback is requested on the proposed future 5 year Strategic Plan, which will be implemented in 2016.

Overall goals include: • Increasing volunteer youth, families and underrepresented populations • Utilizing technology to build and strengthen the volunteer community • Expanding specialized volunteer opportunities • Expanding learning/training opportunities for volunteers On behalf of all Volunteer Services staff we thank you for your continued efforts and dedication! We look forward to your feedback and continuing contribution to fulfilling Cleveland Metroparks mission and positive impact in the community! We wish you a happy and safe summer!

Heather Triplett Director of Volunteer Services

Backyard Biodiversity Bash WEST CREEK RESERVATION WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP CENTER

SEPTEMBER 19

Coming Up!

Ledges to Lake Adventure Race

Volunteer Bus Tour

HINCKLEY RESERVATION

SEPTEMBER 20

Cedar Valley Settlers Celebration ROCKY RIVER RESERVATION

SEPTEMBER 27

FallFest

BRECKSVILLE RESERVATION – MEADOWS PICNIC AREA

OCTOBER 11

Nature Photography Day NORTH CHAGRIN RESERVATION

OCTOBER 15-18 & 22-25

Boo at the Zoo

OCTOBER 17

Nature at Night

CLEVELAND METROPARKS ZOO

NORTH CHAGRIN RESERVATION

Please contact Millie at 440-253-2145 or Lisa at 440-253-2143 if you are interested in assisting at or attending any of these events.

Cleveland Metroparks Volunteer Services 2277 West Ridgewood Drive Parma, OH 44134

Volunteers participated in the “Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) & Works Progress Administration (WPA)” bus tour hosted by Historic Interpreter, Foster Brown in 2014.

A volunteer bus tour is being offered again this year on Friday, September 18. The theme is “Lakefront Reservations.” Stops will include Garfield Park Center, Huntington Beach, Edgewater Park, Euclid Beach, Villa Angela and Wildwood parks. The tour is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lunch at Merwin’s Wharf will be provided. Active volunteers with 15 or more cumulative hours are invited to consider attending the tour. Participants will be chosen by lottery. Only 25 spaces are available for this tour. If you are interested in participating, you must submit your name by Friday, July 10 to Millie Harnocz at volinfo@clevelandmetroparks.com or 440-253-2145. From the registration list, 25 names will be selected at random to participate. You will be notified whether or not you were selected by July 31.

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ECO EXPLORERS The preschool outreach unit of Cleveland Metroparks, Eco Explorers, reaches hundreds of classes and thousands of students every year. Focusing on the youngest of our future nature stewards, Eco Explorers staff takes engaging programming, interactive activities and games, and live animals out to preschool classrooms across the Greater Cleveland area.

After their program, each class gets their own activity kit to keep to build upon the Eco Explorers curriculum, so volunteers are always needed to help assemble and prepare these important teacher kits.

Eco Explorers also represents Cleveland Metroparks and its educational resources to the public at area events and festivals.

Occasionally, volunteers who enjoy working with small children and big crowds are needed to help assist with the games and activities at these appearances. New this year to Eco Explorers will be Wet & Wild Wednesdays, which will take place at different locations in Cleveland Metroparks on Wednesdays throughout the month of June. These programs will provide opportunities for fun and learning about the topic of water for preschool students, and volunteers will be needed to help assist with the fun! Eco Explorers holds a Discovery Days program at Garfield Park. Once a month, in-home daycares have the opportunity to bring their 3-6 year olds to discover the natural world through music and games while being in the park!

GARFIELD PARK CENTER

Youth learn various cooking skills during a Fun with Food program at Garfield Park Center.

Formerly Garfield Park Nature Center, the contemporary vision for the newly renamed Garfield Park Center is all about sustainability and backyard conservation. This exciting new direction has created a host of new volunteer opportunities for those interested in gardening, growing food, and homesteading. There is much work to be done in renovating the center’s gardens, which will integrate both native perennials and annual vegetable crops in order to provide food for both people and wildlife. This summer, volunteers will be assisting with a variety of programs, including 2

building rain barrels and helping with homesteading summer camps and fun with food. The return of colder weather won’t slow us down; between winter programs and workshops and citizen science bird-monitoring through Project Feeder Watch, we’ll have plenty of opportunities for volunteers to participate at Garfield Park!

LOOK ABOUT LODGE/NORTH CHAGRIN NATURE CENTER Look About Lodge and North Chagrin Nature Center staffs and volunteer teams have officially merged into one unit. That doesn’t mean we’ll be doing any less, though! We’ll be stronger and better as one as we provide Outdoor Experiences at South Chagrin Reservation, North Chagrin Reservation, Acacia Reservation and Euclid Creek Reservation. We have several fun and exciting efforts that are in need of volunteer support: • ​​Knee High Naturalists in South Chagrin Reservation on June 21 • Nature Play Area upkeep and improvements in South Chagrin Reservation, ongoing • Reptiles, Amphibians and Fun in South Chagrin Reservation on August 15 • Nature at Night in North Chagrin Reservation on October 17 Contact Carly Martin by email (cam@clevelandmetroparks.com) or call North Chagrin Nature Center (440-473-3370) for information on helping with any of these fun activities or our many other volunteer opportunities.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Watershed Volunteers, Tinkers Creek Watershed Partners and Natural Resources staff installed bioengineering material, native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plugs at a new floodplain restoration project along Tinkers Creek in Bedford Reservation.

Natural Resources works with all types of volunteers from individuals to corporate groups and from preschool (Caring Cubs) to retired. Volunteers have contributed significant hours for tree planting, native seed collecting, stream assessment, wildlife telemetry, and invasive plant removal. In 2014, the Watershed Volunteer Program had over 429 volunteers participate in 79 events including riparian plantings, seed collection and cleaning, rain garden maintenance, invasive plant removal, and a variety of

trainings and workshops providing over 2,894 hours of service.

The program also offers opportunities for independent projects such as water quality monitoring, stream bank erosion monitoring, rain garden monitoring and seed collecting with over 36 individuals providing an additional 674 hours of service over the year. Finally, thirty-three volunteers became Certified Watershed Volunteers by completing a core group of program activities, bringing the total number of Certified Watershed Volunteers to 70 since the program’s inception in Fall 2012. Additionally, Natural Resources is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers contributing to wildlife studies. In 2014, 25 volunteers contributed almost 200 hours for deer spotlight surveys. ​ Forty-five volunteers contributed 1,247 hours monitoring radiocollared deer and coyotes using radio telemetry.

Sara Kennedy is expected to submit her thesis to complete her requirements for a Master’s degree at Ohio State thanks in large part to volunteer efforts to track these deer. Natural Resources looks forward to continuing to work with volunteers on these ongoing projects as well as enhanced opportunities for forest health assessments searching for hemlock woolly adelgid and in native plant propagation.

in the community at varying summer camps, senior care facilities, schools and festivals. New volunteers are welcome! Call 216-3411707 for additional information.

ROCKY RIVER NATURE CENTER Rocky River Nature Center, with an annual attendance over 170,000, is busy all year round. Programs and events require much assistance. Please consider joining us – we would love to have you!

We look forward to a year of popular special events. In celebration of National Trails Day, Healthy Planet, Healthy People 5K will be on June 6. Many volunteers are needed to help with registration, water distribution, time tracking and awards. Join us on September 20 for Cedar Valley Settlers Celebration where we connect people to the past with old time demonstrations and crafts. Make sure you mark your calendars for First People Festival scheduled for November 21. We will start the new year with Winteriffic, a celebration of the winter season. Winteriffic will be on January 3.

The new NatureTracks vehicle made its debut in March.

NATURETRACKS NatureTracks Outreach Education has been in existence since 1976.

This program was formed to combat the lack of transportation and connection for City of Cleveland residents to Cleveland Metroparks.

A grand opening was held in March to introduce the third version of this outreach program to the public. The new program continues to educate, enlighten and engage the residents of Cleveland about nature utilizing a new 38 ft., customized coach with a simulated forest environment and interactive exhibit. The new NatureTracks program is geared towards students in grades 1-6. The new outreach vehicle continues to promote Cleveland Metroparks 3

PRSRTS TD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Cleveland, Ohio Permit No. 2911

4101 Fulton Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44144 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED DATED MATERIAL DO NOT DELAY

Mary Klonowski

VOLUNTEER SITE Brecksville Nature Center Zoo

Cleveland Metroparks Volunteer Mary Klonowski

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH CLEVELAND METROPARKS? Mary raised her family of six children in Maple Heights and frequented Garfield Park Reservation and the Zoo. At the Zoo, Mary saw volunteers and wanted to eventually get involved. The time came in 1996 when Mary became a volunteer. During her 19 years at the Zoo, Mary has participated as both a service and docent volunteer. In 2011, Mary decided that she wanted to get more involved with Park District activities. Since her children had been involved in scouting, she was familiar with many nature center programs. For the past four years, Mary has been sharing her time at Brecksville Nature Center assisting with special events.

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Volunteer Vista The Volunteer Vista section provides an opportunity to get to know fellow Cleveland Metroparks volunteers. Onsite volunteer coordinators submit suggestions for which volunteer to highlight. From those suggestions, volunteer names are selected at random.

FAVORITE VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY Mary states, “My favorite activity is split between helping with FallFest in Brecksville Reservation and as Day Captain at the Zoo.” Mary enjoys dressing in costume during FallFest and seeing all those who enjoy the event. She has assisted with all activities during this event including stenciling, games, information booth and candle making. When asked about being Day Captain at the Zoo, Mary shares, “I get to interact with more volunteers on a one-on-one basis in this role. I enjoy helping them and assisting with projects and tasks.”

MOST MEMORABLE VOLUNTEER MOMENTS Focusing on both of her favorite activities, Mary reflects on interacting with small children during FallFest while helping with a scavenger hunt as one of her memorable volunteer moments. At the Zoo, during the time that Mary volunteered as a docent, she recalls taking a wolf pelt to Wolf Wilderness and interacting with children there.

She shares, “The kids would ask if it was a real wolf and if we killed it. It was an opportunity to let them know that rangers took it away from trappers and donated to us so we could share it with others. They were always amazed that they were touching a real wolf.”

WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER? Mary enjoys interacting with the public and meeting people from all walks of life. Mary states, “Meeting people with different occupations and backgrounds is really interesting to me. Also, volunteering keeps me motivated and busy.”

In addition to volunteering with Cleveland Metroparks, Mary is also active in her church and with a pet rescue in Summit County. Overall, Mary shares, “I have 11 grandkids and 3 great grandkids. I feel very blessed in my life and want to give back to others. Volunteers are special to give of their time to an organization that they are interested in. I want to share the joy!”

COMMENTS FROM PROGRAM/SITE STAFF Mary interacts with many staff during her volunteer activities. Lynn Charles, Manager of Zoo Volunteer Services, shares, “Mary has served as a Zoo Volunteer since 1996. She spent 18 years working as a Docent on Zoo grounds, educating our guests about animals and conservation. Docent hours can be intimidating, 100 hours a year, and when Mary realized she could no longer do that, she requested to be shifted to a Service Volunteer, to be able to continue to serve the Zoo. We find that admirable. Mary also serves a Day Captain, handling clerical and administrative duties for the Zoo Volunteer program. One could only hope for more like, Mary.” Brecksville Nature Center Naturalist, Kelly McGinnis, notes, “​Mary has been a great asset at our FallFest event. She helps with set up and is a smiling face that greets visitors at the information booth!”