Wow! What Were You Doing In High School?

Vince DiGennaro, Sean Waitkus &
Center Executive Director Catherine Timko

Two teen volunteers at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center secured a nearly $1,000 corporate donation to support our Bay Village nonprofit. North Olmsted High School Seniors Vince DiGennaro and Sean Waitkus went into the board room to compete for funds under the Farmers Insurance Future Leaders Development Program and presented the donation they earned to Executive Director Catherine Timko today.

Vince and Sean developed a 20-minute presentation to explain why the nonprofit charity of their choice should receive a financial donation. A panel of company leaders judged competing student pitches and based on communication, content, appearance and overall presentation. Sean and Vince worked "countless hours" on the presentation which included a PowerPoint and video synched to music.

Vince and Sean are both involved in North Olmsted High School’s SITES (Social Involvement Through Education and Service) Program, which partnered with Farmers to engage students in the competition. Sean has logged more than 1,500 volunteer hours at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and won the Volunteer Service Award at his high school for three years running. He is an aspiring naturalist with plans to study wildlife at Hocking College.

Vince has accumulated more than 100 volunteer hours at the Center since September 2010. He plans to attend the University of Miami (Florida) to study meteorology and marine science.

Well done Sean and Vince! Thank you!

We Applaud Our Volunteers

We want to give one more "shout out" to our wonderful volunteers corps following our week of  Volunteer Appreciation Week activities and our weekend Volunteer Appreciation Brunch. At Saturday's event, we had a number of multiple award winners. Our 2009 Volunteer of the Year, Matt Grisnik, was also one of two recipients of the William and Shirley Snider Family Scholarship Award. Hillary Stradtman picked up the other scholarship. Our 2009 Adult Volunteers of the Year, Mike and Sue Clark were both givers and receivers of recognition since they  are the generous funders the Snider Family Scholarship. The group photo above shows the Clarks with Matt and Hillary.

2009 Special Recognition Volunteers included Trish Binder, Rob Catalano, Kathy Haas, Mary Haymond, Gary Houk, Karen Huhndorff, Jim Sparks, Jo Theis and Phyllis Wiggenhorn.

Another group of volunteers received our new Milestone Award, which tracks volunteers hours since 2007. One volunteer, Sean Waitkus, has already reached Gold Level status during that time, logging more than 1,000 hours! Matt Grisnik and George Moskwa achieved Silver Level status serving 500- 999 hours and 34 volunteers have given the Bronze Level of 150 - 499 hours.

For The President's Service Award, which is presented for annual volunteer thresholds, Sean Waitkus was singled out again for 2009 Gold Level status, with 8 volunteers giving Silver Level hours in '09 - Frank Colosimo, Matt Grisnik, Kathy Haas, Gary Houk, Madison Maher, George Moskwa, Michael Restifo and Hillary Stradtman - and 20 more wonderful volunteers achieving Bronze Level recognition.

Volunteer Coordinator Julie Mistur and Executive Director Catherine Timko were on hand to applaud the award winners. We appreciate ALL of our 200+ volunteers who are a key part of our making our mission happen. Thank you volunteers!

Want to join them? Check out the Volunteer pages of our Website.

Duck, Nest Projects Tackled By Cargill Volunteers

A big thank-you to a group of volunteers from Cargill who spent a day with us last week supporting our nonprofit work in a variety of ways. They helped us to get 1,000 rubber ducks ready for our upcoming Great Duck Race and painted new dates (Sunday, June 6!) on the colorful duck signs that advertise Family Fun Fest and The Great Duck Race.

The group also created a supply of artificial bird nests out of cardboard milk cartons and plastic jugs for use in our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program.

According to the Cargill website, company-sponsored volunteer opportunities focus on nutrition and health, education and environmental stewardship.

It just so happens that the Cargill volunteer visit coincided with our celebration of Volunteer Appreciation Week, where we tip our hats to many, many wonderful people who power our organization with the gift of their time, talents and sweat! For more information about volunteering at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center, you can visit the volunteer pages of our website.

Register To ReConnect at Our Reunion!

Has Lake Erie Nature & Science Center played a special part in your life? It doesn’t matter if you volunteered in the era of Elberta Fleming’s VW bus… or worked at the Center in more recent times, we want to invite you to reConnect and reDiscover your place at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center!

We’re making plans to gather up former NAs, volunteers, Board Members, Women’s Board members, curators and staffers for our first-ever Legacy Reunion on Saturday, November 14! We’ll fill you in on details as plans for our legacy celebration evolve.

To receive an invitation, please submit your contact information using Lake Erie Nature & Science Center’s online contact form. Write “Legacy Reunion” in the Comments section. We encourage you to pass along reunion information to others who have a history with Lake Erie Nature & Science Center.
It’s going to be an exciting day of sharing memories and seeing old friends! ReConnect... reDiscover Lake Erie Nature & Science Center!

Celebrating People Power

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center celebrated the impact of “people power” on Saturday, as we recognized 300 volunteers for an astounding 11,400 service hours in 2008.

A number of volunteers were singled out for special recognition on Saturday including 2008 Adult Volunteer of the Year, Kristi Latham, who served in leadership roles for the Center’s annual Family Fun Fest and for the Center’s Annual Benefit Auction. The 2008 Student Volunteer of the Year, Sean Waitkus, was honored for tireless hours spent as a weekend Naturalist Assistant. Waitkus was also the only volunteer to reach the top, “Gold Level” in The President's Volunteer Service Awards, logging more than 250 hours in a single calendar year.

A number of other teenagers involved in the Naturalist Assistants Program were honored as well, including seven graduating High School Seniors who received scholarships from the Women’s Board and others who achieved Silver and Bronze Level President's Service Awards. Service is acknowledged at three thresholds of annual hours logged, in two age categories.

We know the gift of time is precious, and we appreciate the tremendous contributions our volunteers make to the non profit mission of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center!

Ready to help? We are currently recruiting volunteers to help children at Wild Summer Reading Camp in July and August. The Center's website lists our current volunteer opportunties and you can fill out a volunteer application online as well.

Key Red Shirts To the Rescue!

Just like your backyard, the grounds around Lake Erie Nature & Science Center are greening up and giving way to warmer weather. Those outdoor areas also need spring maintenance, which can be an overwhelming task for our small non-profit staff.

However, we got a great start on a much-needed dose of spring spruce-up with the help of a group of volunteers from KeyBank. Two teams of the red-shirted helpers were here last week as part of KeyBank's Neighbors Make the Difference program. The hard-working corps got two huge projects done for us --painting the railings in places like our backyard Wildlife Gardens and weeding and mulching the front and backyard. Our jobs were just two of many projects that KeyBank volunteers tackled on May 5. In fact, beginning this year, the company has designated the entire month of May as "Key Community Month." Thanks KeyBank!

Volunteer Contributions Are Key

Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart. ~Elizabeth Andrews

As Lake Erie Nature & Science Center strives to do more with less, we are more grateful than ever for our dedicated volunteers, who serve in virtually every aspect of our operation. We’re currently seeking more people who have the heart for our mission and are willing to invest their time in it.
How do volunteers help? They are the enthusiastic animal handlers who provide hands-on animal experiences for our visitors and off-site guests. They are the smiling faces and cheerful voices at our welcome desk. They are the creative and energetic teams behind fantastic special events like our Annual Benefit and Family Fun Fest. They also make up a dedicated animal care corps - adults and teens who clean cages and feed wildlife without compensation or complaint. They are the generous parents who offer to help out in a classroom or camp. They are members of our Board of Directors and Women’s Board who provide expertise and support in countless ways. We have a variety of current needs and opportunities.

It doesn’t matter if you have a little or a lot to give, you can make a difference!
“It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little. Do what you can.” ~Sydney Smith

You can contact our Volunteer Coordinator Julie Mistur at (440) 871-2900 x215 or fill out an online application to join our team! By the way, we’ll be celebrating our great volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Week in April. Watch for details coming soon.

Huntington Beach Clean Up A Success!

About 25 volunteers of all ages answered Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's call to help clean and monitor the health of Huntington Beach in Bay Village. The Center is led an official adopt-a-Beach clean-up on Saturday, September 6. Carla Roth, who led the effort for the Center, guided volunteers in picking up garbage along the Lake Erie shoreline and counting and tallying the litter. The finished data will be sent to the Adopt-a-Beach program, which is spearheaded by the Chicago- based Alliance for the Great Lakes.
“The final tabulations compiled by Adopt-a-Beach officials will give us insight into how healthy our lakes are, and what else we can do to take action,” said Roth, Education Program & Administrative Specialist. Carla also waded in to Lake Erie to take water samples for some simple and sophisticated tests, including a screen for E coli bacteria.” Thanks to everyone who turned out!

Read more about the clean up in WestLife or in our online newsroom.

Adopt-a-Beach Huntington Beach

Nothing beats a gorgeous sunset over Lake Erie! If you love our great lake and want to keep our beaches clean and healthy, join our team! Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is enlisting the help of families to clean and monitor the health of Huntington Beach in Bay Village. The Center is leading an official Adopt-a-Beach clean-up on Saturday, September 6. Children ages 8 and up with at least one adult are encouraged to join the cleaning crew from 10 a.m. to noon.

Carla Roth, who’s leading the effort for the Center, says volunteers will spend the morning picking up garbage along the Lake Erie shoreline and counting and tallying the litter. The finished data will be sent to the Chicago-based Adopt-a-Beach program spearheaded by the Alliance for the Great Lakes. "The final tabulations compiled by Adopt-a-Beach will give us insight into how healthy our lakes are, and what else we can do to take action,” said Roth. “During the morning, we’ll also be assessing the quality of the Lake Erie water using both simple and sophisticated tests, including a screen for E coli bacteria.”

The guided volunteer program is free, but you are encouraged to let the Center know you’re planning to be part of the crew in advance. Call 440-871-2900 with questions or to sign up.

Volunteers Earn Kudos

We took time on Saturday to give a big thank-you to nearly 300 volunteers, who put in a whopping 7,000 hours last year! A number of volunteers were singled out for special honors at Saturday's recognition brunch, including 2006 Volunteer of the Year, Becca Huntington, who spent countless hours chairing the Center’s annual Family Fun Fest committee, and also played a lead role in the Silent Auction at the Center’s Annual September Benefit. Jenn Dyke was honored as the 2007 Volunteer of the Year for her tireless work as a Wildlife Presenter. in Typical fashion, Jenn had a wildlife program on Saturday and couldn't be there to accept her award!
A number of teenagers involved in the popular Naturalist Assistants Program were honored as well, with two NA's who are graduating High School Seniors, Ashley Stradtman and Derek Howell receiving scholarships from the Women’s Board. That's Volunteer Coordinator Julie Mistur offering congratulations to each. Recent Bay High School graduate, Courtney Ward, who volunteered more than 100 hours at Lake Erie Nature & Science Center through the High School's Elementary Aide program also recieved a $100 scholarship (that's her pictured with Education Program Specialist Bev Walborn.)
Although the the service of some was highlighted, we know that each one of our volunteers who gave us the gift of their time has made a tremendous contribution to Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's success. Thanks!!

Thanks KeyBank Volunteers

What a beautiful day to get out and do some yardwork and a great group of volunteers from KeyBank came, dressed in Key Bank red, to clean up the yard around Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Our beautiful grounds are all spruced up and waiting for our visitors to enjoy. Our thanks to KeyBank!

Thanks for more than 7,000 volunteer hours!

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center benefits each and every day from the helping hands of a generous corps of volunteers. More than 260 individuals logged more than 7,000 hours last year serving in a variety of roles around the Center. On any given day, you can find volunteers doing the "dirty work" of cleaning cages and feeding the animals, planning and pulling off spectacular special events, assisting our education staff in classrooms and at camps and scouting events, acting as live animal docents, sprucing up the building and grounds, answering telephones, raising funds and collecting in-kind donations and much, much more.

Our Volunteer Coordinator, Julie Mistur, is planning a week to honor our volunteers, starting Tuesday, April 29. We hope all of our wonderful supporters who give us the precious gift of their time will stop in to pick up a treat and to let us express our gratitude in person.

Thank you Lake Erie Nature & Science Center volunteers!!! We couldn't do it without you!!!

New Touch Boxes To Explore

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and its visitors are the beneficiary of another wonderful Eagle Scout project. Stop by and see (and touch!) the creations by Geoffrey Mauer, a Boy Scout from Troop 194 in Rocky River. Each box contains something fun from nature to explore with the sense of touch. Can't guess what it is? Open the back and peek to see! Generous In-Kind Donations of all kinds help support the non-profit work of our Center, from Wildlife Rehab to Education. Thanks to all of our in-kind donors, including Geoffrey, who's pictured here with Volunteer Coordinator Julie Mistur.

National City Home and Garden Show

Thanks to a whole bunch of our fantastic volunteers, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center has been able to take a variety of educational animals on the road this week to the National City Home and Garden Show at the IX Center. In addition to the hands-on animal encounters, we're also offering a fun, heart owl valentine craft at our booth. Stop by an see us in aisle 500!

Family Fun Fest Planners Need YOU!

A duck race down Porter Creek, live animal and planetarium shows, bounce houses and games, nature hikes and crafts, food and Radio Disney all make Lake Erie Nature & Science Center's annual Family Fun Fest an event not to be missed! Planning for the June 1, 2008 edition of Fun Fest gets underway with our first committee meeting this Friday (January 25) at 9:45 a.m. in the Center's Grand River room. We have a fantastic core of moms in place who plan crafts, games, activities, food, publicity and more. Kids are welcome at the planning meetings. So, grab a friend and join the great group of parents who are spearheading this event that also serves as a Center fundraiser.
If you can't make Friday's meeting, email or call Volunteer Coordinator Julie Mistur (440) 871- 2900 X215, juliem@lensc.org or Community Relations and Fundraising Specialist Barb Caskey at (440) 871- 2900 X207, barbc@lensc.org to offer your help. We’ll get you on the email list for the future schedule of planning meetings and updates. Photos here are from last year's Fun Fest.

More Boy Scout Projects Benefit Center

We are again fortunate to have Boy Scout projects enhancing the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center experience! Jason Wissman (left) created a wonderful outdoor and indoor vegetable garden (complete with manual) for the animals. We have more than 100 live animals on exhibit and in our outreach & education collection.
Philip Koch (at right) created beautiful identification signs for the plants along the path in our backyard. In addition to identifying pictures, each marker includes a fun fact about the plant. There's also an opportunity for little ones to practice their ABC's with the first letter of the name of the plant on each sign.

These projects are in addition to the recent addition of new benches. Thanks to all three Boy Scouts for benefiting the Center with their creativity and hard work!

A Kids Eye View of Why We Do What We Do!

One of our wonderful Wildlife Volunteers, Christa Sandy, shared the following "eco-story" that her son wrote as an optional assignment for his Kindergarten class in Rocky River. Even at age 6, John demonstrates an awesome care and respect for animals and nature. We snapped pictures of Christa and John in action, representing Lake Erie Nature & Science Center at the Crocker Park tree lighting, Friday night in Westlake.

I help wild animals by feeding birds in our backyard. They eat seeds and suet. Hummingbird eats sugar water. We make it. We feed the squirrels too. They eat corn. We plant Rose of Sharon and red flowers, and the hummingbird sits on them. He gets nectar from the flowers.

I also help wildlife by taking birds, mammals, and reptiles from Lake Erie Nature and Science Center to animal programs. I help Mama hold the animals and talk about them. They can fly, slither, and walk. My favorite is kestrel, hawk, and barred owl. Kestrel says "klee, klee, klee" and barred owl clicks his beak. Hawk says "mmm, mmm." I like to listen. The silliest one is kestrel. Skunk is not stinky and helps people to learn not to run away and to walk right past them. People at animal programs feel happy when I am there. They clap and say "yea!", and they learn about animals. They get excited about helping them. Snake looks like he has ghosts on him. Sometimes people feel scared of him, but he is not scarey. There is a chinchilla there, and he runs fast, fast. I hope you don't wear jackets out of chinchillas.

When I help animals, I help our environment!

John Sandy
Goldwood School- Kindergarten

Thanks to the entire Sandy family for sharing John's story. (Dad, sister and grandmother were at Crocker Park too!)

Thank You Center Volunteers!

This week, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is pausing to salute our hard-working and caring corps of volunteers. We've declared this week our very own Volunteer Appreciation Week with kudos and treats for the people who give their time supporting our non-profit mission. We have volunteers of all ages who care for and work with our animals, who help out in our classrooms, who plan and put on great special events, who raise funds and lend leadership and expertise. Their contributions to our success are too numerous to list, but we appreciate each and every one of them! Volunteer Coordinator Julie Mistur is heading up this week's appreciation activities. The banner hanging in the main hallway says it all! Thank you volunteers!! We couldn't do it without you! Want to join our volunteer ranks? Find out more and sign up on our website.

Christmas Carousel Success

The hardworking, all volunteer Women's Board pulled off another successful Christmas Carousel Holiday Festival on Saturday. Nearly 600 people stopped in at Bay High School to browse and buy from a wonderful variety crafts and gifts and to snap up the delicious bake sale goods. Women's Board donates the proceeds from this event to Lake Erie Nature & Science Center. Find out more about the board and their activities on our website.

Volunteers Wanted!

Volunteers help the non-profit, Lake Erie Nature & Science Center thrive in so many ways from animal care to administrative work. How can you can get involved and support the Center?

• We’re looking for someone with the creativity and skills to make reusable signs promoting our annual events, including Duck shaped signs for our annual Fun Fest & Duck Race.
• An Internet savvy volunteer can help us by entering Center programs into online events databases from home.
• We need someone to tidy up and organize the toys and books in our Critter Corner on a weekly basis.
• We’re already thinking of next year’s annual benefit, looking for volunteers to serve on committees that will seek corporate underwriting and auction donations.

A host of other service opportunities exist. Contact Volunteer Coordinator, Julie Mistur, 440-871-2900, x215 to match your talents with our needs!