11 May, 2008
Volunteer Opportunities
General Volunteering Info
Darke County Parks relies on volunteer involvement in all aspects of our operations, from programs to maintenance. Descriptions of volunteer opportunities are listed on this page. After basic training, and the required paperwork, volunteers can set up a customized work schedule. Completed volunteer applications should be mailed to the Nature Center.
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Program Volunteers
Children's Programs Volunteer to assist with the setup, supervision, and cleanup of Parent & Preschooler Adventures, Park P.A.L.S., and Junior Naturalists.

Day Camp Volunteer to assist with the setup, supervision, and cleanup of our day camp programs.

Special Events Volunteer to assist with the setup, organization, publicity, parking and cleanup of large special events at the Parks.

Historical Interpreters to assist in the development and presentation of pioneer Log House programs.
Nature Center Operations
Front Desk Receptionist to answer phones, operate the gift shop, and register program participants during business hours.

Animal Care Assistant to feed live reptiles and amphibians and clean their display tanks.

Custodial Assistant to help with Nature Center cleaning and table and chair setups.
Parks Management
Prairie Burn Crew Member to assist with managed prairie burns in the spring. Special training and equipment is required for this position.

Trail Monitor to report on trail conditions, report vandalism, and maintain bulletin board at one of our nine Parks.

Maintenance Assistant to help with maintenance of parks and trails including trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, and trash pickup.
Gardening Volunteers
Native Plant Nursery Committee Member to assist with propagation and sale of native prairie plants.

Gardening Volunteer to assist with maintenance of plantings around park signs and the butterfly/hummingbird gardens at Shawnee and Routzong.
Fundraising Volunteers
Parks' Endowment Committee to assist with the continual growth of an endowment fund for the Park District.
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Stewardship Projects

Service learning projects such as bluebird box monitoring, invasive plant eradication and other stewardship projects are available for organized youth groups such as high school clubs, scout troops, 4-H, and church groups.

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Volunteer In The Spotlight
Alan & Pam Cole
Spring 2008
Alan and Pam Cole have been involved with the Park District for many years. Alan began his volunteer work helping to promote the first Park District levy. In recent years he was the driving force in getting the Log House built at Shawnee Prairie Preserve. Without his skills and knowledge, the Log House would still be “under construction”. Alan also volunteered in assisting the Greenville high school Carpentry class in constructing the shelter house near the Nature Center in 2007. Pam is involved with the Darke County Photography Club. She created a pictorial catalogue of the construction of the Log House and has also photographed many beautiful sites throughout the Parks. Many of these wonderful works have been displayed at the Nature Center.
Alan and Pam both enjoy hiking in the Parks and are also involved with showing and riding horses. They live on a small farm near Greenville and have two daughters. They hope the community will continue to support the Nature Center and its staff, and would like to encourage others to volunteer their time to assist the District in their mission for the well-being and improvement of the community.


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