Get Involved
See our event calendar for all upcoming volunteer opportunities!
Volunteer Program Areas
Merry Lea Teaching Farm
Do you enjoy getting your hands dirty, working in the orchard, harvesting produce from the greenhouses or the education garden, working with farm animals, starting seeds, or more? Join us at the farm!
Education & Outreach
Does the thought of teaching people of all ages about environmental education excite you? Do you love helping with special events such as Nature Fest? Jump into the education side of Merry Lea today!
Administrative Support
Would you rather work behind the scenes? We have various opportunities ranging from envelope stuffing to updating bulletin boards, working registration tables, laminating papers and more!
Stewardship
Is your ideal day spent outside in the woods, walking trails, or removing invasive species? Opportunities occur year round and include seed collection and cleaning, prescribed burning, invasive plant removal, and more. Help us maintain and restore our 1,189 acres of land!
Other Skills
Do you have other skills that you would like to share, such as arts & crafts, photography, cooking, writing, or more? Let us know! We are always seeking more creative individuals to help us out.
Youth & Family
Check out various opportunities that are great for families or youth! Some opportunities include popping & serving popcorn during Enchanted Forest, changing out our seasonal Storywalk trail, and more.
— Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities —
We’re always looking for great volunteers who have a passion for nature and learning. Contact Foy Spicer at fspicer@goshen.edu or call (260) 799-5869.
To see upcoming opportunities, click the + sign next to the opportunities (listed below) that you are interested in to learn more and to see available dates!
To register for any stewardship volunteer opportunities, click on the “Register now” button to visit our DoubleKnot calendar! Meeting location of these events will be based on where the greatest need is during that time.
Invasive teasel can quickly fill in an area if left unmanaged. Each plant may produce hundreds of seeds that can stay viable in the soil for over a decade.
The great thing about teasel is that each plant only flowers and creates seed once in its life cycle. One management strategy that works for plants like this is collecting the flowering portions before they release their seeds. A less desirable aspect of teasel is that it is a sharply spiked plant! We will carefully clip and collect teasel flowers from mature plants.
Meeting location will be determined a few days before this event based on where the greatest need is at that time. Freya will contact you via email with those details. Clippers, buckets, eye protection and leather gloves will be available for volunteers to use.
We will be working off trail, so please wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Insect/tick repellent, long sleeves, and work/garden gloves are HIGHLY recommended.
Please also bring drinking water and anything else you think you may need during this activity.
Dates:
- August 5, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Tuesday)
- August 7, 5:30pm-7:30pm (Thursday)
Multiflora rose is one of Merry Lea's common invasive "woody" plants. We will use loppers to cut the stems and daubers to paint the stumps with herbicide*. This method keeps herbicide use to a minimum and targets only the plants you want to treat. We will work in teams with one person cutting and one person daubing.
The roses are THORNY, long sleeves are recommended no matter how hot it is. We will be working off trail, so please wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Insect/tick repellent, long sleeves, and work/garden gloves are also HIGHLY recommended. *Volunteers must be over 18 to apply herbicide. Registration required.
Dates:
- August 12, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Tuesday)
- August 20, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Wednesday)
- August 21, 5:30pm-7:30pm (Thursday)
- August 26, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Tuesday)
- August 28, 5:30pm-7:30pm (Thursday)
Help Merry Lea collect native seeds for use in restoration projects throughout the property! No experience necessary. We'll go over how to tell when seeds are ripe and what we'll do with them after collection.
Registration required. Meeting location will be determined a few days before this event based on where the greatest need is at that time. Freya will contact you via email with those details. Clippers, buckets, and gloves will be available for volunteers to use.
We will be working off trail, so please wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Insect/tick repellent, long sleeves, and work/garden gloves are recommended.
Please also bring drinking water and anything else you think you may need during this activity. This is a great activity for adults and families with children ages 10 and up!
Dates:
- September 9, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Tuesday)
- September 11, 5:30pm-7:30pm (Thursday)
- September 17, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Wednesday)
- September 18, 5:30pm-7:30pm (Thursday)
- September 23, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Tuesday)
- September 30, 2:00pm-4:00pm (Tuesday)
- October 2, 5:30pm-7:30pm (Thursday)
Quotes & Testaments
“I enjoy volunteering because I get to be out in nature learning about the area I am working in, and sometimes helping to take care of it.” –Tristan, Youth Volunteer
“I enjoy volunteering at Merry Lea and seeing children’s fear of the natural environment turn to comfort in it. They gain a new responsibility to care, respect, and protect the land, plants, and creatures who live here. God’s creations are so beautiful! It is relaxing and comforting to walk the trails and breathe in the phytoncides from plants and trees which increase my immune system and lower my blood pressure and stress level!” – Russ, Education Volunteer
“I enjoy being outdoors and love helping kids discover amazing things in nature at all of Merry Lea’s Teaching sites! – Becky, Education Volunteer
Volunteering Over The Years
