Ambassador Graduation and Volunteer Appreciation Night
As a part of the Berks Nature family, the Berks Nature Ambassadors have been carrying out the vision of our organization since 2016. Along with the watershed association members and other volunteers, they are an integral part of the success of our many programs, activities, and stewardship of the environment.
Fourteen individuals just graduated from our 2023 Ambassador program at the end of May. In total, we are proud to have 75 of these trained volunteers whom we can rely on. All the Ambassadors along with our watershed members and other volunteers were invited to celebrate the graduating class on the evening of May 31st.
The event was held in The Rookery at The Nature Place. These dedicated volunteers enjoyed a catered buffet by The Double Tree By Hilton. Kim Murphy, President of Berks Nature, gave opening remarks about the continued success and future of Berks Nature. The graduates were then awarded Certificates of Achievement and Berks Nature Ambassador gear. These like-minded individuals shared stories and experiences throughout the evening.
The Berks Nature Ambassadors are trained volunteers that go through a series of six classes which teach them about the different facets of the work our non-profit accomplishes. They learn about environmental education, water quality, tree planting and growing, trail maintenance, and invasive plant removal. This helps to prepare each Ambassador to be able to represent the vision and values of Berks Nature.
With varied backgrounds and experiences, each Ambassador finds their own niche in how they would like to represent Berks Nature. From helping with thousands of students coming to The Nature Place for field trips, pulling invasive plant species, helping with our numerous programs and events, planting trees to giving presentations and performing water quality testing, our Ambassadors do it all! Each brings their own life experiences and knowledge to give a unique perspective on matters relating to the environment. They help our organization reach far more people than would be possible with just those on staff.
Let us not forget about our wonderful watershed association volunteers! We are proud to have the Hay Creek, Angelica Creek, Tulpehocken Creek, and now the Maiden Creek Watershed Associations as programs of Berks Nature. Each is comprised of intelligent and caring volunteers that help with water quality monitoring, stream restoration work, and education/outreach. These individuals are passionate about helping to preserve our valuable water resources and they really get the job done!!
If you are interested in becoming part of the Berks Nature family, we would love to welcome you to join our Ambassador Program or any of our Watershed Associations. The Ambassador Classes are given once a year from the end of March to early June. Each watershed association meets once a month at various locations. Beyond our volunteer work, we meet throughout the year for continuing education programs, a volunteer appreciation dinner, our watershed association mixer, and other fun and informative activities. We also have general volunteer activities throughout the year if you don’t wish to be part of a group.
Please don’t hesitate to ask more about our volunteer opportunities by contacting me, Beckey Seel. My email address is Beckey.seel@berksnature.org. I hope to talk soon!!