Cincinnati Parks

Cincinnati Parks depends on the support of volunteers in our efforts to combat the impact of invasive plant species throughout our parks system. Cincinnati Parks makes up 10% of the city's land mass, including thousands of acres of forest and woodland areas. Stewarding this land effectively is a massive undertaking, one in which our volunteers play a valuable role. 

Volunteers are organized by staff and community leaders. This structured program offers a wide range of opportunities for volunteers to engage in our habitat restoration efforts and the preservation of our natural areas. Volunteers work alongside staff and other volunteers on service projects beginning at an introductory level and can work towards becoming a Trained Service Person, Volunteer Group Leader, or Volunteer Site Leader. These roles allow our volunteers to become an integral part of implementing the long-term land management plans at many of our Cincinnati Parks nature preserves. 

The roles and requirements of this program are outlined below:

Introductory Volunteer:

• One - time or occasional service event volunteer

CPB Trained Service Person:

• Minimum of 10 hours logged at a supervised Cincinnati Parks conservation site (all sites are listed in this section of the portal)
• Complete the online Pesticide Application Training  
• Successfully pass a TSP Qualifier event 
• Submit the Cincinnati Parks TSP Indemnification Policy
• Volunteers must be 18 or older

Volunteer Group Leader:

• Must be a CPB Trained Service Person
• Identified by the Volunteer Site Leader 
• Schedule & plan workdays
• Recruit and communicate with volunteers
• Coordinate workdays with fellow Volunteer Group Leaders and TSPs
• Supervise workdays, including volunteer introductions, safety rules and guidelines, plant identification, and demonstration of proper removal techniques needed for the event
• Educate volunteers on proper identification and removal techniques
• Serve as an ambassador for your site, your CPAC, and the CCS program
• Adhere to all Cincinnati Parks Department guidelines and policies
• Report volunteer hours, workday outcomes, and other site details as needed
• Follow all applicable safety guidelines and agree to notify Parks staff immediately in the case of an incident
• Be willing and able to answer questions from the public on restoration activities taking place within their park and the importance of these activities 
• Notify Cincinnati Parks staff in the event that they are no longer interested in participating as a Volunteer Group Leader

Volunteer Site Leader:

• Must be a CPB Trained Service Person
• Must be a Volunteer Group Leader
• Appointed by the Conservation and Land Management (CLM) team
• Continues to attend trainings held by CLM in order to stay abreast of what is happening at our conservation sites 
• Serves as the primary point of contact between the Parks CLM team and a Cincinnati Parks Advisory Council (CPAC) 

To get started on the pesticide application program - follow this link to the virtual training:

http://bttr.im/j7wmh

The Pesticide Application Program is made possible by the generous contribution of our friends at the Cincinnati Parks Foundation.