Volunteers 

With 13,000 acres and a 62% increase in visits in recent years, Metroparks relies on the support of our community to help achieve our conservation mission. Our volunteers are integral to the work we do every day. From trail stewards, to volunteer trail patrol, to natural resource monitors, they give over 39,000 hours a year of their precious time. As we celebrate our awesome volunteers in the month of April, we will be honoring so many of the unique talents they share with us every day. 

Hike Leaders Program 

Metroparks Toledo Hike Leaders are a strong set of educators and adventurers! When the program begin in 2021, hike leaders ended the year with 40 hours hiked. Now three years later, the program ended 2024 with 432 hours hiked. Not only does this group lead participants on hikes of all mileage through our 19 Metroparks, they are leaders in teaching our community about the natural world in their backyard. Hike by hike, they are a part of other folk's journey of outdoor enjoyment. If you are interested in being a part of the hike leader program, please reach out to Hannah Gillen at Hannah.Gillen@metroparkstoledo.com.  

Volunteer Trail Patrol Program  

Chances are you have seen a bright yellow shirt or hat at one of our parks. Our Volunteer Trail Patrol Program has grown to over 250 active members and is the largest volunteer program in our district. They contributed almost 12,000 hours in 2024 alone, which represents 30% of total volunteer hours reported. These volunteers dedicate their time and talent to ensuring the safety of our trails while offering a friendly face to our park visitors across 19 parks. Whether it’s picking up litter or reporting a downed tree limb, VTP are out there keeping our parks beautiful. Recruitment starts in January for this program.

Conservation and Restoration Efforts

In honor of National Volunteer Month, we are proud to dedicate Earth Week to the 500+ volunteers who play a vital role in supporting Metroparks Toledo’s conservation and restoration efforts. Whether they’re surveying acres of restored habitat to monitor our Lark Sparrow population, carefully cleaning native seeds, planting thousands of trees, or removing invasive non-native species, these dedicated volunteers work tirelessly alongside us. We are deeply grateful for their time, commitment, and the invaluable expertise they generously share. Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers. If you are interested in becoming one of our Natural Resources volunteer, contact Meredith Busic at Meredith.Busic@metroparkstoledo.com.