Happy National Volunteer Week! Collectively, our incredible volunteers have contributed over 480 hours since January in their efforts to support several projects at Ney. Of course, National Volunteer Week is a great time to celebrate all that they have accomplished so far this year. Let’s take a closer look at some stand out projects!
2025 started off strong as our Board of Directors continued to dedicate their expertise to Ney in the new year. Ney’s eight board members and several committee volunteers collaborate to hold productive meetings each month. Topics such as park stewardship, financial choices, plus policy and program development are always the center of these conversations and guide the goals we make at Ney. So far this year, our board and committee members have contributed 50 hours of their time to ensure that Ney continues to grow its ability to inspire appreciation and respect for nature.
Next, on Saturday, February 15th, nine volunteers braved the cold and windy weather to support our Candlelight Event. Hosting this classic free community event wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers. Together with our staff, they placed and lit our luminaries, served smores and hot chocolate, and tended the bonfire. All of this work added up to over 20 hours of time. Our staff is so grateful that this time is filled with energy and excitement from the volunteers, helping our 160 participants feel warm and welcome on a cold winter evening.
There are so many outstanding volunteer projects to celebrate from both March and April. Across both months, several of our staff members and volunteers were working to support our maple syrup production. Once all of our trees were tapped, volunteers continued to assist our efforts by collecting sap every day, starting our boils, and pulling all the taps when the season came to an end. When you pour your first drop of Ney Maple Syrup onto fluffy morning pancakes, please be sure to thank our seven impressive volunteers who helped make that syrup possible.
In addition to those seven volunteers, we welcomed 29 students from the Compass Learning Center in New Prague to help us remove our taps at the end of the syruping season. Setting out on foot, this large group skillfully took down more than 50 taps and collection bags in just over one hour. It is always a great experience to help students participate in serving their community.
The Compass Learning Center students were not the only school group to take time out of their day to support Ney’s goals. Minnesota New Country School students traveled up the hill from Henderson on three separate occasions so far this year. During their first visit, several students supported our AmeriCorps member’s effort to continue removing Buckthorn throughout the park. Next, across two separate workdays, a few more students cleaned out, prepared, and placed predator guards on all of our Wood Duck houses. Altogether, they contributed over 70 hours of environmental stewardship.
If all of these incredible accomplishments have left you wondering how you can either continue volunteering at Ney or join your first workday, you’re in luck. I am so very happy to announce that our Great Oaks restoration project will be celebrating its five year anniversary on Saturday, April 26th from 9am to noon. To celebrate and continue the development of the area, we are hosting a seed scattering party! Please join us and invite your friends to clear leaf litter and prepare the soil to seed a savanna grass and flower mix under our Seven Sisters. You won’t want to miss this exciting celebration.
Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers who dedicate their time, expertise, and happy spirits to Ney. Our staff hopes you feel appreciated and celebrated not only during National Volunteer Week, but all year round.
P.S. If you’re interested in continuing the fun of thanking and celebrating our wonderful volunteers, please mark your calendars for our upcoming volunteer appreciation evening on Tuesday, July 15th. Stay tuned for more information!