ONP volunteers tackle project list

Several projects at the Oakland Nature Preserve have been completed thanks to employees of Cemex, a building materials company that held its statewide meeting Sept. 18 in Orlando.

Fifty-three people — many of them newcomers to the preserve — showed up, ready to volunteer and tackle a few projects. In a span of just two hours, they finished four, said ONP director Jennifer Hunt.

The volunteers finished construction of the new NaturePlay area, which is located on the Green Trail close to the gazebo and encourages free play.

“That is a play area for children to explore and imagine and have fun, and they can do everything from climbing on the logs to digging,” Hunt said. “I’ve installed a rain barrel that will be manually filled. There is a rainbow garden and there are painted poles representing different aspects of nature, which were done by our summer camp kids and finished by an artist.”

The play area includes a place for parents to hang out and relax, too.

Cemex volunteers built and installed a new birdfeeder garden on the Green Trail near the bird observation area.

The group of birdfeeder poles is constructed of plumbing materials and is designed to hold eight feeders. Each feeder will be labeled with the type of feed it holds, and preserve guests can learn what they can put in their own feeders to draw specific birds to their garden.

“It’s fun for the birds and educational at the same time,” Hunt said.

The 16-foot-by-16-foot ambassador turtle pond on the Blue Trail was renovated, as well. Volunteers rebuilt the cement edging, added climbing logs and installed new sand.

The final project, although small, will make a big difference at festivals and other ONP events, Hunt said. Volunteers pulled out the collection of tents of various sizes and labeled each pole for quicker set-up.

TIME TO VOLUNTEER

The preserve is looking for volunteers of all ages to assist in many different capacities, Hunt said.

“Right now, one of the main things we’re looking for are museum docents,” she said. “They would learn about the history of the preserve and interact with guests in our museum.”

Docents can sign up for any number of hours, such as a block of time or one Saturday a month.

Volunteers who like to weed and dig and plant are needed throughout the preserve, as well.

The town of Oakland’s Heritage and Wildlife Festival is another chance to volunteer. The annual event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Speer Park.

“And we have specific opportunities for youth who don’t necessarily want to do weed pulling or planting,” she said.

Teens 14 to 17 can become Leaders in Training, which are co-camp counselors who learn leadership and presentation skills. Those 16 and 17 can serve as eco interpreters and interact with guests.

To volunteer, visit oaklandnaturepreserve.org.