FMR feels the volunteer love

Volunteers working together clearing brush from last years Flint Hills event.

Photo: Amy Kilgore, FMR

At the end of each year, FMRs event participants are asked to take part in a brief anonymous survey to provide constructive feedback about their volunteer experiences with FMR. When asked what our volunteers find motivating and rewarding about volunteering at FMR events, a common theme arose. Volunteers generally enjoyed working outdoors as part of a team to make a difference helping to restore, preserve, and protect local natural resources and the sense of pride and accomplishment they felt after participating in an event. A few notable responses include:

• Being outdoors, learning geology, botany, zoology, history. Good company. Accomplishments and being appreciated.
• Tangible before and after difference for the better! FMR staff always make me feel super appreciated.
• It lets me feel like I am Mother Nature.
• I learn more about local ecology. I feel as though I am making a contribution to the community and environment. I enjoy the staff and fellow volunteers.
• I can come back a couple of years later and look at a work site and believe we made a difference on restoration and or clearing brush.

The final question on the survey asked for any additional comments or suggestions regarding event improvements. Again, the responses were very positive with requests for more volunteer opportunities, name tags and take-home fliers. FMR staff are actively working on these requests for our 2015 event season.

This valuable feedback helps us to continually refine our practices to continue to attract dedicated, enthusiastic individuals who enjoy the variety of events and volunteer opportunities that we provide. Thank you once again to all of our 2014 event participants. We are looking forward to kicking off another exciting event season this spring!