Volunteers through the years!

Sep 21, 2011 by Stephanie

Most of us have had trouble keeping up with yard work from time to time… imagine being responsible for over 30 acres!

Even a natural setting requires a lot of maintenance.  Since the park’s beginning in 1935, volunteers have helped: donating and planting trees and shrubs, clearing and maintaining trails, and coordinating park clean-ups. Even when there were paid park guards as caretakers for the park (from 1935 to at least 1970), nature clubs, school groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and individual citizens all pitched in to care for the park.

Delaware County Parks & Recreation performs major maintenance and keeps the grass mowed- I have never visited the park to find that it needed mowing!  And after a 94 year old oak tree fell into the pond during Hurricane Irene this August, County Parks removed the huge tree just 5 days later!  Right now they are working on some challenging erosion issues on the sledding hill and around the pond.

But volunteers continue to help maintain the park’s trails: for years, County Parks & Recreation Board Member Bill O’Donnell has been using his own chainsaw to cut through the trees that fall across the trails.  In fact, his chainsaw broke while cutting through a large fallen tree after Hurricane Irene!  Bill rallies a crew of volunteers to help with whatever maintenance needs he identifies: from steps on trails to boards for managing trail erosion. Helpers have included the Upper Providence Neighborhood Association. 

Bill has been volunteering at Glen Providence Park since 1996, and has been a County Parks & Recreation Board Member since 2000.  If you see his friendly face around the park, please say thank you!