The future of the Frederick Law Olmsted Parks looks very bright in the hands of Nolan McQueen! Nolan, who is 18 and seems wise beyond his years, is a senior at Manual High School and a recent graduate of the Conservancy’s Park Steward volunteer training program.
As nationally ranked junior cyclist, he began volunteering in the parks in 2009 with Red Zone Cycling. The team coaches encouraged the young cyclists to volunteer in the parks where they spent so much time training. Nolan developed a passion for learning how to maintain trails, as well as how to identify native plants and invasive species. Nolan says he feels a sense of responsibility to take care of the park he uses every day. He also says going to Cherokee Park (within walking distance of his home in a Highlands neighborhood) offers a great break from the many hours of “screen time” he spends doing homework.
Nolan plans to study computer science or engineering in college next year and believes the leadership skills and trail maintenance skills he learned in the Park Steward training volunteering will be useful wherever he lands. Thank you, Nolan, for your dedication to the Olmsted Parks!
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