Dane County Parks is lucky to have a network of thousands of volunteers and 19 Friends Groups who support the parks system. The Foundation loves supporting volunteers, and last month we co-sponsored a series of workshops designed to build skills and capacity among parks volunteers. The sessions were led by Dane County Parks staff and other local leaders and covered topics like social media and event planning, fundraising, and volunteer recruitment.
The Foundation was also pleased to provide additional funding from the Endowment for a Diversity Equity and Inclusion workshop led by August Ball, of Cream City Conservation, to begin teaching volunteers about issues of racial equity that relate to our parks. Learning about issues of equity and inclusion is an important goal of the Foundation, and we hope that this session spurred attendees to think about their own role in the road to equity.
The work that volunteers provide to the parks is invaluable in keeping them healthy, beautiful, accessible and fun, so providing opportunities to give back to our parks volunteers, like these training sessions, is an important part of the Foundation’s work. Dane County Parks, with sponsorship from the Foundation, will be hosting a Volunteer appreciation picnic on May 10th (watch the events page for more information).
Funds for these workshops came from the Friends of Dane County Parks Endowment, which supports education, interpretation and volunteerism in our parks. Thank you to all those who dedicate their time and effort to Dane County Parks. Our parks system would not be the same without your commitment and hard work!
