They’re among the smiling faces who greet you at the entrance to a state park. They can be seen walking around park lands picking up trash. They help with interactive programs in Delaware’s award-winning state parks system. They even assist with administrative tasks like selling park passes.

This might seem like it’s describing employees of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Parks and Recreation, and while those tasks are certainly things the division’s full-time and casual/seasonal personnel handle, we’re not talking about them. Rather, the aforementioned duties are all among those taken on by volunteers.

Hundreds of people volunteer for Delaware State Parks every year, providing a crucial service that otherwise would cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars more annually or require it to cease some of its offerings.

In 2024, volunteers contributed 153,543 hours — the equivalent of 78 full-time employees. Needless to say, that’s lot, especially considering the entire Division of Parks and Recreation only has about 140 full-time personnel.

For AshLeigh McKinney, the chief of volunteer and community involvement for the Division of Parks and Recreation, the level of involvement from communities up and down the First State is a major point of pride.

At a conference earlier this year, representatives from Texas noted their statewide parks system received about 300,000 volunteer hours. That really helps put it in perspective, McKinney noted, considering the Lone Star State has 30 times the population of little old Delaware.

Volunteerism here tends to be split fairly evenly between parks. Interestingly, beach sites such as Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore and Fenwick Island state parks often receive fewer volunteers during the summer — by far the busiest time of year for them — because they get crowded due to the sheer number of visitors.

Delaware State Parks receive the most volunteers in spring and fall, which are perfect times for assisting with everything from cleaning up litter to walking the trails in search of invasive species to participating in historical reenactments. But the parks system can use help during all seasons, even winter.

“Parks are far more than boots and trails,” McKinney said. “We’re a full ecosystem —marketing and business operations, administrative teams, summer camps, youth programs and nature centers — and every one of those areas offers ways to get involved.”

Bellevue State Park, for instance, hosted a murder mystery last year. Playing the parts required to make the experience fun and interactive for visitors were volunteers eager to don their thespian hats.

For the individuals who donate some of their time, whether they’re students looking to fulfill a service requirement or retirees hoping to stay busy and find a new passion in their second act, volunteering can be extremely rewarding.

Terri Tipping, a volunteer leader at White Clay Creek State Park, was motivated to help out after she began hiking at White Clay Creek regularly with a local trail club and started noticing more and more non-native plants. With her interest piqued, she began learning more about invasive species and working with DNREC to help indigenous flora and fauna thrive.

“I wondered if we came out a couple hours each week, could we make a difference?” she said. “Initially, we had only two or three people helping each week. Eight-plus years later, we now are having 4,500 volunteer hours per year and anywhere from 15 to 100 volunteers per week. We get schools, nonprofit organizations and corporations volunteering in addition to our 15 to 20 core regular volunteers.”

Tipping is optimistic about the impact a community of passionate, like-minded folks can have, noting supporters of White Clay Creek recently planted 1,200 trees.

Some participate in volunteering through their employer, as is the case with Crystal Clough. Clough, who first got involved with Delaware State Parks through a local environmental organization, has been managing Bank of America’s corporate business partner relationship with Delaware State Parks for more than a decade. In that time, she’s helped plant trees at Killen’s Pond State Park, transcribe documents for First State Heritage Park, assist with paranormal adventure tours at Fort Delaware State Park, clean up Bellevue State Park after storms and set up for fundraisers at the Brandywine Zoo.

“I enjoy helping others through volunteerism. There is a sense of pride in knowing the work I do may support the community or help preserve state parks for its local community as well as visitors from across the globe,” Clough said. “Beyond personal fulfillment, I believe volunteering is simply the right thing to do — it strengthens our communities and ensures these valuable resources remain accessible for everyone to enjoy.”

Some frequent park users take advantage of Delaware State Parks’ Adopt-a-Trail program, which tasks dedicated community members with regularly visiting a section of a trail and keeping it clean. They also report back to the park if they spot any potential issues beyond their capacity to handle, such as a downed tree blocking a path.

Some of the most avid fans of Delaware State Parks join Community Support Organizations, sometimes colloquially referred to as Friends groups. These are nonprofits composed of community members who partner with their favorite park to support park operations, including trail and habitat restoration, invasive plant removal, citizen-science monitoring, visitor services and program support, community events and fundraisers, volunteer coordination, grant writing and advocacy.

Bryan Mey falls into that bucket. Mey, who moved to a home just a few miles from Lums Pond State Park a couple of years ago, was eager to get involved to help his community. After contacting Delaware State Parks, he attended a trail cleanup.

Interested in doing more, he then offered to help the Friends of Lums Pond with their newsletter and was soon asked to join the group’s board.

In 2024, he was elected president of Friends of Lums Pond.

“There’s something about state parks that is just really awesome,” Mey gushed. “Trying to take care of our parks and nature, it feels like I’ll never have enough of putting effort

into it. It feels like it always gives back to you. The community around it is also really cool. It’s filled with genuinely good people. They care and they want to do something good. Every time I’ve been around those folks, it’s been inspiring.”

In 2024, Friends of Lums Pond held its inaugural fundraiser, an event called Pond Fest that included live music, vendors, raffles, food and more. Around 600 people attended, helping the group raise almost $10,000. A second such event is planned for this October, with the goal of raising $20,000 to support park operations and the addition of an accessible kayak launch.

Funding from Pond Fest 2024 helped buy a bike station for the park as well as create youth scholarships to enable some schools to send students on field trips there.

Nearly every one of DNREC’s 17 parks has an accompanying Community Support Organization. McKinney’s team includes seven volunteer managers, each of whom is responsible for multiple parks and works closely with existing organizations and interested parties to coordinate efforts.

Some volunteers reach out to DNREC directly to inquire about helping, while others may get involved through a friend or family member or simply show up for a volunteer opportunity like a park cleanup.

“We always strive to meet the volunteers where they are while also meeting the park needs. We have found that diversifying our outreach and the way that we engage has been the most beneficial. There are so many ways volunteers can get involved, and we welcome anyone with a passion to serve their parks and community,” McKinney said.

Volunteer managers connect with individuals hoping to start giving some of their time to the parks system and learn about their interest level, their skills and the amount of free time they have available. That enables them to utilize the volunteers in a way that is both most beneficial to the parks and particularly engaging and worthwhile for participants.

Some may handle administrative tasks, which generally require more training and supervision, while others stick to the outdoors. Some current employees of the Division of Parks and Recreation actually got started as volunteers.

Delaware State Parks also has programs like the Youth Conservation Corps, which is open to teenagers and young adults, and offers internships. These opportunities can lead to full-time employment with the agency.

But, of course, not everyone is looking for a job down the road. Some people are just hoping to fill some of their time while giving back. And for them, the volunteer initiative is perfect.

The Friends groups are a big part of connecting volunteers with rewarding activities. The groups operate independently but function in concert with Delaware State Parks. Staff from the Division of Parks and Recreation often attend meetings hosted by the nonprofits, and both sides work to align their goals to benefit their communities.

Mey, the head of the Lums Pond organization, has also collaborated with other Friends groups, which he said have been very quick to offer assistance or advice — especially helpful considering Friends of Lums Pond is a newer organization still trying to grow.

For Mey, a big part of the value he gets out of this volunteer work is in setting a good example for his two daughters and helping better the area where they live. The friendliness of the park employees he has met also contributes to his eagerness to help.

“There’s something about creating an event that is good and wholesome that I can’t put my finger on, but the people in this area need some positivity, especially with the current state of affairs,” he said. “That’s what our group is trying to do. To create some positive energy within the community.”

To learn more and get involved, visit destateparks.com/volunteers to find an upcoming opportunity or contact Delaware State Parks directly at dnrec_helpyourpark@delaware.gov.

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