Volunteer Opportunities
We have many volunteer opportunities needed within our chapter. Here are a few listed below. Feel free to contact us if you would like to volunteer for one of the opportunities listed or would like to ask about a volunteer opportunity not listed here. Just email us at info.iwlawacova@gmail.com
Save Our Streams
Stream Monitoring
The Izaak Walton League’s Save Our Streams program is the only nationwide program training volunteers to protect waterways from pollution and bring information about water quality to their communities.
The program began in 1969, when water pollution problems were easy to see – like massive oil spills and burning rivers. Early Save Our Streams volunteers cleaned up trash from their local waterways and reported problems like streams becoming clogged with silt.
In the 1980s, the League recognized that with the right training, volunteers could collect scientifically valid data to assess water quality in local streams – a conviction that has proven true. Ever since, the League has been teaching volunteers to study stream health and report their findings to decision-makers.
Today, trained volunteer stream monitors across the country are uncovering pollution problems and urging their local leaders to take action on water quality. The work of these volunteers also creates a critical record of water quality over time, making it possible to quickly identify pollution problems that develop in the future.
Anybody can get trained as a volunteer stream monitor – and anybody can collect valuable data about the health of their local stream with no training at all. How will you help to Save Our Streams?
Anti Litter Committee
Volunteer to keep our streams and streets clean! Our Anti-Litter Committee invites members and the community to help us pick up the litter in our local streams and roadways. Below is information, dates, and times for all of our meetups in 2021.
Note from our Anti-Litter Coordinator, Dennis Mosher:
First event is Sunday 7 March for Happy Creek. This will be the last event that counts for this year's Warren County Ant-litter Council awards. We had a lot of cancellations and light turnout during the pandemic. We need to have good a turnout and would like to get some photos for our entry. So far I only have one picture for the whole year.
I have pickup tools and orange trash bags. Bring waders or knee boots for the creek pickups if you have them, but they are not required. Happy Creek is a very good event for kids, we would cancel the event if the creek was at flood stage. The road pickups are a judgement call for parents, whether or not you feel your children are old enough to work on the roadsides. I try to put families with kids on the upper part of the road where the speed limit is lower and the visability is better. Ticks and poison ivy are a given hazzard for all of us.
PICK UP SCHEDULE FOR 2021
7 Mar: Happy Creek
18 Apr: Browntown Road
11` Jul: Browntown Road
5 Sep: Browntown Road
10 Oct: Happy Creek
5 Dec: Browntown Road
7 May: Anti-litter Council Awards Input due
24 Apr: Browntown Redbud Festival (Tentative date, if this changes we will move the Road Pickup to the Sunday before the new date.)
Dennis Mosher, Anti-litter Coordinator
(540) 635-3559
Youth Programs
We are forming a committee to help with the growing outdoor youth program that we have developed. Our popular Walton Wednesdays Summer Series, and our Annual Youth Day to name two. We are in the process of building an outdoor adventure playground space at the park and will need lots of volunteer help with building this! We have a desire to grow our youth program as we build our committee and volunteer pool. If you have an interest in volunteering with this please email Mary Cook, the Youth Coordinator at info.iwlawacova@gmail.com.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Some other areas that need volunteers include our Grounds Committee led by Gene Matthews, they meet every Friday morning at the park to work on various projects around the farm that need tending to; from yard work, pond maintenance, house maintenance, construction projects, cutting wood, trail clearing, etc. If you have some time to spare, skills to share please consider volunteering. We have been fortunate to have member volunteers to keep the grounds beautiful and cared for. This helps keep our costs down as well, and keeps the level of pride for our park strong!
Ways and Means
This is such an important committee! Through fundraising and grants, we are able to keep costs down for our members and offer a scholarship program to graduating seniors each year heading off to college to study environmental science, outdoor recreation, or other STEM-based programs that tie in with the mission of the Chapter.
Volunteers to help with our fundraisers either to lead them or provide help during the events and those with grant writing experience are needed! Please consider joining the team!
Outdoor Recreation
This is a new committee forming. Do you love hiking, hunting, fishing, shooting sports, archery, backpacking, backcountry camping, and more? If so, this could be a fun committee to lead or join! We would love to develop some educational programs for adults to keep the love of playing outdoors alive and well!