Volunteer as a Park Champion!

Do it single-handedly, or get a group of friends together, but make the commitment today to help renew Louisville’s unique Olmsted parks! Give one day a year or a few hours each week taking part in a Park Champion service project and do your part to strengthen and revitalize our community.

Even if you’ve never volunteered before, or you’ve never planted a tree, you can protect the future of Louisville’s Olmsted parks. We can’t do it without your help, so join us as we root out invasive plants, rebuild trails and restore native plants in our parks together! 

Don’t have a green thumb or don’t like to get dirty?

Volunteer to help in our office with mailings, data entry, and event coordination. Or come out to help us with education and outreach, volunteer at our informational booths at neighborhood festivals!  

Upcoming Volunteer Events

 

*SIGN-UP TO HELP YOUR PARKS*

 

Adopt an Area in the Parks

We are looking for dedicated park volunteers, to adopt a park or an area of a park, who believe in the health of their parks. Any group, business or organization is welcome to adopt. Adopting groups, generally, agree to work at least six work sessions each year. Work, in the park, can range from invasive weed removal, tree planting, mulching to rebuilding trails. 
 

Volunteer Highlights

Trent Winlock, Dedicated Park Volunteer

Over the last year, Trent Winlock has seen the transformation of the Chauffer’s Rest area in Cherokee Park and is proud to be part of the change.  A very large area across from Chauffer’s Rest was covered in Bush Honeysuckle; an invasive plant species that chokes out native species, preventing new tree growth, and endangering the future existence of our parks. Starting the summer of 2008, Trent worked some 150 hours with Olmsted Park Conservancy volunteer program to clear this area of the Bush Honeysuckle. We greatly appreciate his hard work and one he can be proud of as native species are returning and the area looks beautiful now that the dense thickets of honeysuckle are gone and the original vistas have been restored.

Trent appreciates what our parks offer in the way of a natural urban environment. He sees an added benefit of volunteering and how it supports the future of the parks but also gives him the opportunity to meet people who share his interests. Trent, a student at the University of Louisville’s Speed School, is working on a degree in environmental engineering. He credits his interest in his field of study to time spent in the parks while growing up. Trent felt drawn to the Olmsted parks when he returned home after living in Northern California. Trent realized what a wonderful treasure the Olmsted parks are for the city of Louisville, after living in a region with national parks, but no city parks.

Trent, thank you for your service and commitment to the Olmsted parks!

We would also like to recognize these wonderful groups who have come out to help this year:

Earth Scouts
Meyzeek Middle School Beta Club
Myers Middle School
Noe Middle School Beta Club
Bullitt County East High School National Honor Society
Brown School
Assumption High School
St. Francis High School
Boy Scouts of America
Geocache of Louisville
Girl Scouts of America
Presentation Academy
KY Governor’s Scholars Program
GE
E.ON
UPS
Cotton Allen
Wells Fargo
Summit Energy
Jewish Family and Career Services
Facts of Faith Fellowship
Sts. Mary & Elizabeth Hospital
KYMBA
North Carolina Outward Bound
Rotaract
Central Park Neighborhood Association
Tyler Park Neighborhood Association
Crescent Hill Baptist Church
Starbucks
U of L School of Medicine
U of L Biology Graduate Student Association
U of L Lambda Chi
U of L Key Society
U of L Student Outreach Unite
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Navy Reserve
King Elementary School
Whitney Young Elementary School
Wild Ones

We need your help to renew our community’s parks! Individuals, families and groups can get involved and help with projects that will root out invasive plants, rebuild trails, and restore native plants. If you're interested in giving some time in Louisville's Olmsted parks, call (502) 456-8125 or e-mail sarah.wolff@olmstedparks.org.

We hope to see you in the parks soon!