First Parish Work Day at Nature Linc

By Lily Gordon, Program Coordinator

On a crisp, sunny day in late October, a group of 30 Lincoln-ites gathered in the Nature Linc parking lot, some with tools in hand, some with children next to them, all ready to listen and help. This was a group of volunteers from First Parish in Lincoln, a longtime partner and supporter of Nature Linc’s work. There were many familiar faces in the crowd; some had been to Nature Linc for last year’s volunteer day, or even the year before last. We divided up into three main groups: the garden crew, the indoor organizing and cleaning crew, and the miscellaneous outdoor task crew.

For the next few hours, the site was a whirlwind of organized chaos. Volunteers helped each other out with tasks, problem solving and communicating well. There was some type of task for everyone, whether they wanted to carry heavy things, organize and clean shelves, or clip back overgrown bushes. The six children present were all incredibly helpful, pairing up to carrying wood planks across the site or carefully painting an outdoor staircase.

By the end, three areas of Nature Linc’s site were completely transformed. In front of the barn, the native ornamental garden was completely trimmed back for the winter and the overhang area reorganized. Inside the barn, our craft shelves were clean and tidy and the windows sparkled. The garden was transformed too: crop beds deconstructed and planter pots moved to begin our transition to an exciting, new, and improved educational garden onsite. As we gathered up for a final group picture, staff and volunteers beamed with satisfaction in a job well done.

We want to deeply thank First Parish in Lincoln for being such an amazing community partner, not only with these volunteer days but also with their regular donations to support our programs that connect youth from low income communities to nature. The First Parish in Lincoln community really ‘walk the walks’ of direct service.