GRAPEVINEVolunteer Information, News & Events

Nov2 0 2 1greatparks.org/volunteer

THIS MONTH’S BLOGEndangered Species Success Story: Running Buffalo Clover https://blog.greatparks.org/2021/09/endangered-species-success-story-running-buffalo-clover/

HOURS REMINDERThe end of the year will be here before you know it! Please remember to record all of your volunteer hours in MIP by the end of the year.

Year-end Mailing ScheduleYep! 2021 is coming to an end pretty darn quickly, so it’s time we get busy and start wrapping up the year! This means your year-end packet, which includes your 2022 motor vehicle permit, will arrive in your mailbox in early December. We can use your help making this year-end project as seamless as possible!

First, to make sure you receive your packet in a timely manner, make sure your Volunteer Resources Team has your most up-to-date mailing address. You can check on this yourself by logging into your MIP account and navigating to the “My Profile” tab in the upper right hand corner of your home page. Click on “Contact Information” in the drop down menu, make changes if needed, and hit “save”.

Second, this is a great time to make sure your volunteer hours are up-to-date. We’ll accept 2021 hours anytime, but they are most useful to the park district if they are entered before the end of the year. This will ensure the data is included in the Great Parks Annual Report, which we leverage for future grant dollars. If your hours come in after the end of the year, you will still get credit for them, but Great Parks cannot include them in grant applications or community building.

Third, many of you have been asking about how many hours you need to remain an active volunteer this year. COVID-19 certainly has put a wrench in our programs and services and we realize many volunteer activities were slow to return, if they did at all. We also understand that many of you were not comfortable volunteering due to the virus. Keeping all of this in mind, we are throwing many past practices to the wind. Just like 2020, there are no minimum hours required for 2021. As long as you are actively engaged in the organization, you are still an important member of our team!

Finally, we know that most, if not all volunteers, were unable to contribute enough hours this year to earn a 2022 recreation card. Therefore, we will be lowering the number of hours required to earn a recreation card. Any volunteer who contributed 50 hours in 2021 will receive one recreation card. Volunteers who contributed 250+ hours will receive two cards.

Your year-end packet will contain one 2022 motor vehicle permit and one 2022 time sheet along with other fun stuff. We typically host big year-end mailing parties to put the packets together. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we won’t be able to do this. We are still working out details, but no worries. Your very smart and roll-with-the-punches Volunteer Resources Team will get your packet to you on time!

Year-end Mailing Schedule:Today: Get caught up recording your volunteer service hours and make sure your mailing address is up-to date.

Friday, December 10: Packets with 2022 MVPs are mailed.

Friday, January 7: We’ll mail 2022 recreation cards to those who contributed 50 or more hours in 2021. To

avoid delays, be sure all of your hours are in no later than December 31!

Friday, January 7: You may begin requesting second motor vehicle permits if needed. Don’t forget, second

motor vehicle permits are for your use only and are not meant to be shared with others.

This year was a difficult year for everyone. We will not forget your patience, kindness and generosity. Thank you for helping us through. We hope Great Parks made things a bit better for you, too!

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Kris, Niki or Lauren at volunteer@greatparks.org or phone 513-521-7275.

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November Volunteer OpportunitiesInterpreter programs are back! Check out what's coming up and join in on the fun.

For all Stew Crew projects - participants should bring work gloves, a facemask (to be worn if 6-feet physical distance cannot be maintained), hand sanitizer, insect repellent, water, snacks and wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes. Tools will be provided.Link to parks and park maps—https://www.greatparks.org/parks Link to record your service hours—https://app.betterimpact.com/Login/Login

Island of Misfit Toys DriveThis December, the West Region education department is hosting an event called Island of the Misfit Toys, as a waste reduction initiative. We want to encourage people to make new toys with bits and pieces of cast-off play items instead of throwing out their old and broken toys. We are looking for broken toy donations, 2 liter bottles, and large tin cans. They can be dropped off at the Miami Whitewater Forest Visitor Center. We are accepting donations from now until Friday, 12/10. If you have questions, please reach out to Jashan Singh at jsingh@greatparks.org.

Invasive Removal at Sharon WoodsWed 11/3, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Come out to Sharon Woods to help remove some of Ohio's invasive shrub species along the Hike-Bike Trail. Also learn what invasive plants could be in your backyard and how to properly remove them. Meet at the Lakeside Lodge parking lot. To volunteer, contact Jeremy Barkley at jbarkley@greatparks.org or phone 724-814-1008. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Sharon Woods [C&P/East]

Invasive Plant Removal at Mitchell Memorial ForestThu 11/4, 9 – 11 a.m.Volunteers and staff will be removing invasive plant species from Mitchell Memorial Forest. The main focus will be working on invasive plants in higher-quality natural areas near the Mountain Bike Trail to help preserve the beauty of these forested hills. Meet at the Mitchell Memorial Maintenance Building. To volunteer, contact Ben Braeutigam at bbraeutigam@greatparks.org or phone 937-405-6212. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Mitchell Memorial [C&P/West]

Invasive Species Removal at Winton WoodsSat 11/6, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Come out and help us remove honeysuckle from our beautiful Warren Wells Preserve. Take a hike and help keep our high quality natural areas invasive free. Meet at the Spring Beauty Dell parking lot. To volunteer, contact Jaimie Martin at jmartin@greatparks.org or phone 631-334-3876. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Winton Woods [C&P/Central]

Disc Golf Course Edge Maintenance at Woodland MoundTue 11/9, 9 a.m. – noonHelp us make our Woodland Mound disc golf course more playable and enjoyable for our guests! Much of the forest around disc golf have high-quality plants that are being overrun by honeysuckle, multiflora rose, and other non-native species.

Janet SteeleYears of Service – 2 years as a volunteer, 6 years as a seasonal/part time employee

What’s your favorite outdoor activity? Camping! Doesn’t matter if it’s a pup tent, yurt, platform tent or treehouse, I am always delighted to be living for a spell in the great outdoors.

What is your specialty dish? It’s a toss up between dutch oven peach cobbler or pie iron ham-n-cheese sandwiches.

What are three things on your bucket list? I want to watch the Chicago River dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day. I want to live long enough to watch our granddaughter graduate from high school (she just turned four). I’d like to take another river cruise in Europe once it’s safe to travel again.

What are you most excited about right now? Young women that I watched mature through their years as Girl Scouts are entering politics, ministry, social work, health care, teaching, environmental studies, fields that will greatly benefit from their skills, talents, abilities, and passion for improving life for everyone on the planet. They are going to accomplish great things, of that I’m certain.

Volunteer Spotlight

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Clearing this brush will not only improve the health of our forests but also help the disc golfers retrieve discs that disappear into the brush. Meet at the Seasongood parking lot by the disc golf course. To volunteer, contact Davis Morehart at dmorehart@greatparks.org or phone 513-720-6780. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Woodland Mound [C&P/East]

Honeysuckle Hunt at Little MiamiWed 11/10, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m.Help the Little Miami Crew wrap up honeysuckle season with hands on invasive species removal. This will be a precision taskforce that will treat clumps of honeysuckle in otherwise high sensitivity areas where a more broad method would be too destructive. Meet at Avoca parking lot. To volunteer, contact Thomas Yee at tyee@greatparks.org or phone 513-470-9969. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew– Avoca [C&P/East]

Find & Search: A Lesson on Animal Tracking Sat 11/13 & Sun 11/14, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Do you ever see tracks in your backyard and want to know what made them? Are you curious why it’s essential to know? Help our guests learn about animal tracking and its importance to wildlife conservation. Volunteers will assist our interpreters in exploring Woodland Mound looking for evidence of wildlife through prints and other identifiers. To volunteer, contact James Harris at jharris@greatparks.org or phone 216-702-1766. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Interpreter Programs–Woodland Mound [Edu & Events/East]

Honeysuckle Removal at Shawnee Lookout Sun 11/14, 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. Now is a great time to tackle the seemingly ever-present bush honey-suckle. Help us remove this invasive plant to make room for natives! Trained herbicide applicators a plus but not required. Meet at the Waterhole Meadow Shelter parking lot. To volunteer, contact Adam McCosham at amccosham@greatparks.org or phone 513-978-7198. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Shawnee Lookout [C&P/West]

Invasive Removal at Sharon WoodsWed 11/17, 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Come out to Sharon Woods to help remove some of Ohio's invasive shrub species along the Hike-Bike Trail. Also learn what invasive plants could be in your backyard and how to properly remove them. Meet at the Sharon Center parking lot. To volunteer, contact Jeremy Barkley at jbarkley@greatparks.org or phone 724-814-1008. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Sharon Woods [C&P/East]

Invasive Plant Removal at Mitchell Memorial ForestThu 11/18, 9 – 11 a.m.Volunteers and staff will be removing invasive plant species from Mitchell Memorial Forest. The main focus will be working on invasive plants in higher-quality natural areas near the Mountain Bike Trail to help preserve the beauty of these forested hills. Meet at the Mitchell Memorial Maintenance Building. To volunteer, contact Ben Braeutigam at bbraeutigam@greatparks.org or phone 937-405-6212. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Mitchell Memorial [C&P/West]

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Honeysuckle Removal at Glenwood GardensThu 11/18, 9 a.m. – noonCome out and help us remove honeysuckle and vines along our trails at Glenwood Gardens! Meet at the park-ing lot by the service drive gate. To volunteer, contact Shaun McClary at smcclary@greatparks.org or phone 513-869-9525. For volunteers ages 14 and up. StewCrew–Glenwood Gardens [C&P/Central]

Tree Planting at Withrow Nature Preserve Sat 11/20, 9 a.m. – noon Come out and help the Woodland Mound team plant native trees to help close the canopy and provide food and shelter for our forest dwellers. The trees will also improve the health of the forest and our efforts to com-bat non-native plants. Meet at the Withrow parking lot. To volunteer, contact Dan Hart at dhart@greatparks.org or phone 513-470-9969. For volunteers ages 14 and up. Stew Crew–Withrow [C&P/East]

2021 Volunteer Celebration Events!September 21–September 29, 2021

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate with us! We were so excited to see so many of you in person this year. It goes without saying that we could not accomplish everything we do at Great Parks without each and every one of you.

A special thank you and congratulations to our 2021 Award Recipients! We are so grateful and proud to have you on our team

40 years of service Carol DreesDea HuberRob Kranz

30 years of service Hildy Foegle Donna Wagner

25 years of service Pat HarperMike Mulcahy Tom TuranJim Williams Nicole Young

20 years of service Mira AhlersDoug Copenhaver Russ KeelerMary Beth Loosen Ruth Meininger Kathy Raible Carolyn Smith Dean Swartz Nancy Swartz Kathy Turan

15 years of service Bonnie Borisch Bob Brabbs Margie Rennie Louise Schurfranz Kay Serio

Q Smith Benedikt Dianna Spears-Laurence Sandy Wallace

10 years of service Guy AdamsMarvin AppelMaureen BrabbsJudy BrewerShirlie BriggsSusan BroveyDan BruewerBrian CarovillanoBarb ChivinskiJeff CuringtonMeg ErnstHoward Ferguson Sarah FesslerPhyllis FlickSherry GriesMatt HasselbeckFred HerrmannKelvin HillJerry McAdamsRobert McIntyreCarol PennekampSoni PirtleSam RudolfMarc SchmidtHoward TumlerLuis Villavicencio