A limited number of spots are available to participate and registration is open now through Friday, Oct. 22 at metroparks.org/make-a-difference. Five Rivers hopes to have approximately 200 volunteers attend the event that helps beautify the area’s parks and prepare them for the winter season.
“Our dedicated volunteers are critical to helping us protect and maintain more than 16,000 acres of the region’s natural heritage,” said Jenny Hymans, Five Rivers MetroParks human resources and volunteer manager. “This is the first annual day of service MetroParks has been able to host in-person since the pandemic began. We’re incredibly happy to reengage volunteers in a way that encourages people to safely come together and give back to nature.”
Credit: Jessica Hansbauer; Jan Underwood
Credit: Jessica Hansbauer; Jan Underwood
This is the second of Five Rivers’ two largest, annual days of volunteer opportunities. Adopt-A-Park day is particularly celebrated in April each year, though the parks system needs volunteers year-round for a variety of tasks.
Anyone interested in learning about other projects like Make a Difference Day can visit metroparks.org/volunteer.
“Events such as Make-A-Difference-Day connect us to large numbers of volunteers in one day that allow us to plan and complete large-scale projects that would otherwise not be possible,” said Chris Pion, MetroParks Director of Parks and Conservation. “We are so thankful for the dedicated support that we receive from these wonderful volunteers.”
National Make a Difference Day has been taking place across the country for more than 20 years and Five Rivers MetroParks has supported the annual event for several years, according to a release.
Examples of past projects, according to Five Rivers MetroParks’ website, include:
- Invasive plant removal at Cox Arboretum MetroPark
- Invasive plant removal and habitat restoration at Hills & Dales MetroPark
- Edging landscape beds, cleaning up the river banks and recreation trails around RiverScape MetroPark
- Tree planting and invasive plant removal at Carriage Hill MetroPark
- Invasive plant removal long roadway corridors and tree planting at Germantown MetroPark
- Tree planting at the Medlar Conservation Area
- Habitat restoration, garden bed winterization and trash cleanup at Wesleyan MetroPark
- Invasive plant removal and repairs at Aullwood Garden MetroPark and Englewood MetroPark
Five Rivers MetroParks said participants are required to wear face coverings when indoors in its facilities. When outdoors, anywhere six feet of social distance cannot be maintained, Five Rivers encouraged participants to wear face coverings.
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