What does community mean?
According to The American Heritage Dictionary it is…
“A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government.”
“The district or locality in which such a group lives.”
“A group of people having common interests.”
I think community means much more than that, especially with The Conservation Foundation’s volunteer community.
I’ve only been with you amazing people for a little over a year, but I think our volunteer community is something very special.
As the volunteer coordinator I get to see your great work on a regular basis. However, I am not the only one who notices you. The Conservation Foundation staff members consistently admire your work ethic, your frequent flexibility, and your commitment to our mission of saving land, saving water, and building stewardship.
I asked our staff to share some stories, quotes, or reflections about you all. I wanted you to hear it from a collective voice, not just mine. At first, I struggled a little bit, since I am not sharing one for all of you. However, I think it’s important that we learn and share about the beautiful work both teams and individuals are doing at The Conservation Foundation.
Chuck Kelly and Fe Lynch (they are a team): Chuck and Fe come every Tuesday morning to help keep McDonald Farm looking great! The always have a fun and positive attitude and are willing to do whatever needs to be done. I value them so much and always appreciate talking to them, which usually involves some good laughter. They often just see work that needs to be done and then just jump right in and do it. Chuck and Fe are integral team members who embody volunteerism at The Conservation Foundation.
Pete Johnston: Pete joined the Dayton Bluffs gang maybe two years ago. From my understanding, he was innocently out walking his little 100 lb. dog, when Dr. Dave invited or accosted him, to consider volunteering. He eagerly accepted and has been a phenomenal resource with his time and skills. He eagerly learns, recently earning his Master Naturalist certificate, troubleshoots any problem, fixes most things, has made bird and bee houses, donated items for our silent auction and for Dayton Bluffs, and has warmly welcomed many of our seasonal staff. He and Dave now spend so much time together, they seem like brothers, sarcastically riling each other — which adds to the family-like comradery at Dayton Bluffs.
Annabelle Jan: Annabelle is one of our youngest volunteers! This middle schooler not only helped keep our gardens well-tended, but also started a GoFundMe page for The Conservation Foundation. She raised over $2,700 this summer! Her love of the environment, positive energy, and endless curiosity was always felt by our staff and fellow volunteers. The future is bright with young people like Annabelle in it.
Dave Manigold and the Dayton Bluffs Volunteer Team: These volunteers have exceeded expectations for over 12 years! Dayton Bluffs looks amazing, and it’s 100% because of these Ottawa-area volunteers, who have made that 253 acres look incredible. Dave and the team also help out The Conservation Foundation’s Youth Education Team when students come out to learn and explore Dayton Bluffs. Also, a shout-out to Janell Satler for being an important part of our Mighty Acorns program and helping connect kids to nature.
Laura Scarff and Mary Svitek (the rookies!): They are two of our newer volunteers who are always there to help, even when we gave them very short notice. Laura helped in a variety of areas this year, and, yes, even helped in the dreaded traffic/parking control areas. Her energy is contagious and is always appreciated. Mary is one of our most reliable and dedicated garden helpers. She is always trying to learn more about plants, vegetables, and natives, and literally just “digs in” and helps wherever needed.
McDonald Farm Volunteers: Words simply cannot express our gratitude for all of the volunteers that help keep our farm running. The volunteers we work with are vital to our success. Without your help, it would be impossible to provide this volume and quality of food to our community. I would like to thank everyone who has come out to the farm to help, this year, or at any time in the past. Our farm is a collection of good deeds that have been accumulating for over 20 years now, and every clean bunch of kale, every weed pulled, and every bin washed by volunteers like yourselves, has added up to make this place as special as it is. When people truly care about what they do and how they spend their time, it really shows. This farm is the perfect example of a community coming together to feed their families, their neighbors, and those in need with the freshest, most nutritious food available, all while ensuring that the land is cared for in a way that allows our project to continue for generations to come.
Ken Wolf and the Dickson-Murst Farm Partners: Talk about hard workers who like to have fun! From the day we had a handshake agreement back in 2007, these volunteers have more than held up their end of the deal, taking care of not just the land, but also the buildings and equipment. This team embodies a true “farm community” who take an all-hands-on-deck approach whenever things need to be done at the farm. Their events are always fun and family-oriented, and that has made Dickson-Murst Farm a true gem for their community. They are a great model of what a volunteer team can become at The Conservation Foundation. We are grateful and we appreciate all that you do.
MacKenzie Kaehler: Mack takes care of our Bluebird boxes at McDonald Farm. She comes to the farm, mostly off hours, 2-3 times a month, and gets to drive the Gator around. She is often blazing through tick-infested grasses, just to make sure our blue birds and native swallows thrive and reproduce.
Bill Reid: Bill is Mr. Hospitality and Mr. Generosity. He spends a lot of time at our newer Belrose Farm property. Neither us, nor his wife, really want to know how much money he has spent on outfitting the barn with tools and equipment. He bought an ATV to move people and tools to the remote worksites. He has roasted hotdogs and sausages for contractors and volunteers. Has created trails, cut, hauled, chipped, and burned brush, mowed trails, built benches and a storage room within the barn, and has allowed us to use his home woodshop for projects. His carved wood-spirits have been left as gifts for hikers at Dayton Bluffs over the years. Bob Lowery also has been a huge part of maintaining the Belrose Farm site. The two of them are affectionately known as B & B Enterprises.
Deanna Bazan: We are so fortunate to have Deanna as a volunteer at Dayton Bluffs for our Mighty Acorns programs. Her knowledge and experience truly enhances the experiences for our students. She has a very special way of engaging kids with her contagious enthusiasm for our natural world. Deanna also led Farm Camp at Dickson-Murst Farm and was a video star of our recent video for The Conservation Foundation.
The Green Earth Program Volunteers: With whatever it may be. Whether it is washing vegetables for hours on end, cleaning tedious scallions, sorting countless tomatoes, harvesting, or weeding every Wednesday, you are doing it with a smile on your face. The barn and fields would be a whole lot quieter without you, and for that I thank you for the curiosity, energy, and laughter that you bring. To each volunteer that I have had the pleasure of getting to know and getting to grow with, thank you again. The Green Earth Program Volunteer are a fundamental part of our team. Anytime you have people willing to dedicate their time to help your cause, it’s humbling. But what makes me most proud of our volunteers is the consistency, quality, and trust we have with them. I feel connected to each and every volunteer to some degree. I value every single time they come out and help our team follow our passion every single day. Whether I get to work with them the whole time, some of the time, or not at all, it is always appreciated. Thank you for helping us on this journey.
Gina Sandvik: Gina gives so much of herself to The Conservation Foundation, not only time and effort, but shares her beautiful smile, eagerness, and positivity. While she helps most with Green Earth Harvest tasks, she consistently offers her time as part of the Roving Stewards crew and has probably removed well-over a hundred honeysuckle shrubs at O’Hara Woods.
Dan Kohler: Dan always has a smile on his face and a very positive attitude. He does countless things around the farm, from weeding, to farm work, to repairs. We especially appreciate his ability to problem-solve and share his insights and simply make things better. He is a true keystone volunteer.
River Sweep and Winter Chloride Watchers: Thank you, thank you! There are so many of you all, I am sending you a huge group hug from The Conservation Foundation. The work you do for our rivers, streams, and habitats is truly important work. Often braving the cold, getting your feet wet, and doing deep knee bends, you are true conservation stewards. Most importantly, others see you doing the work, and that ripples out into your communities. Pun intended.
The theme that emerged for me from all of these staff volunteer stories is community. Everyone talked more about you as the kind of people our volunteers are — your friendliness, your work ethic, your teamwork, and your caring nature.
As your Volunteer Coordinator, I had the privilege to see many of you in action this past year. If I were asked to describe The Conservation Foundation’s volunteers I would define it as follows.
The Conservation Volunteers are…
“A team of dedicated individuals who…
Embody character,
Build relationships,
Create community connections, and
Make a positive impact on our world.”
You do hard work, you laugh and smile, you show up on time, you make new friends, you talk about conservation, you share your knowledge, you help others, you take care of our lands, you take care of our waters, but, most importantly, you take care of our community. That makes you not only a great volunteer, but a great steward.
Finally, a special message to all of our volunteers from our entire staff. We may not always stop and say it often enough, but you make an impact each and every day when you volunteer at The Conservation Foundation. Whether you are cleaning a stream, weeding the organic farm fields, or just working a special event, The Conservation Foundation simply does not work without you. Thank you so much for all that you do. We value you. We appreciate you. And we are grateful to you for building such an incredible community of volunteers. It’s an honor to share in your beautiful work, so simply — thank you.