With Thanksgiving coming up, we think the month of November is the perfect time to introduce our very first Volunteer of the Month spotlight! For this inaugural highlight, we want to introduce you to long-time Pottawattamie Conservation volunteer, Dorie Stone.
Dorie Stone started sharing her time and skills with Pottawattamie Conservation at Hitchcock Nature Center in September of 2007. Over the years she has assisted with many projects including harvesting seeds, assisting the Hitchcock HawkWatch group, supporting our environmental education staff and working as a Welcome Desk Ambassador at the Loess Hills Lodge gallery, among many others!
"I like helping people to get outside and learn. The more they do that the more likely they are to support conservation, which is important to me.”
Other reasons Dorie enjoys her time volunteering (and has given back for so long!) include being useful, keeping busy, having a specific job, making a difference and feeling appreciated.
Besides learning many facts about Hitchcock Nature Center and this land’s history, she shared:
“The fact that there are so many different kinds of people who come out and are so amazed - and that there are so many people who live nearby or just down the road and have never been or heard of it. People don’t notice what’s close.”
We couldn’t pick just one, so here’s a list!
- Dorie is working on establishing a Little Free Library at the Hitchcock Nature Center campgrounds. Please let us know if you have any books you would like to donate towards this effort.
- Dorie is a certified Nebraska Master Naturalist. If you have questions about plants, animals or other wildlife, feel free to ask Dorie if you see her at the Loess Hills Lodge welcome desk.
- Dorie has traveled up and down the Loess Hills Scenic Byway many times and is full of recommendations for places near and far that you should visit.
- Dorie is also currently taking French classes through the Alliance Français of Milwaukee and plans to visit Quebec City or Paris next year.
We are so grateful for the time that Dorie gives to improve our parks as well as the precious Loess Hills ecosystems found at Hitchcock. The Pottawattamie Conservation team truly could not do it without her and our other amazing volunteers who help with park maintenance, provide a positive visitor experience, support education programming and more.
Thank you for 14 wonderful years, Dorie!
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We are always looking for new faces to help us keep Pottawattamie Conservation parks beautiful and educate the public. Whether you prefer outdoors or indoors, our volunteer opportunities provide impactful ways for you to make a difference, connect with nature and support our community.
Regular volunteers have the option of setting their own schedule and are rewarded with educational opportunities and other benefits. Volunteers also receive an annual park permit and a discount on gift shop merchandise as a thank you for their efforts.
For more information on volunteer opportunities or to schedule a private volunteer project please contact Dana Kruse, Volunteer and Facilities Coordinator at (712) 545-3283 or email him at dana.kruse@pottcounty-ia.gov.
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