Twin Lakes State Park recognizes volunteer Marie Banton and her efforts in revitalizing the park's friends group.

Marie Banton is currently the president of the Friends of Twin Lakes State Park
and long time state parks volunteer

The first time I met Marie Banton I knew there was something special about her. It was at Sailor’s Creek Battlefield Historical State Park and she was volunteering with her daughter Meg. Her enthusiasm flowed into the volunteer project she was doing at the time and you could tell she loved every minute of it. That was in 2006 and Marie still loves volunteering with Virginia State Parks.

Marie and her daughter Meg (left) receive a volunteerism recognition 
award from Sailor's Creek Battlefield park manager Chris Calkins

She enjoys it so much that she took on a new challenge this past spring by volunteering to rekindle a Friends group  for Twin Lakes State Park and even volunteered to be its president. Over the last three months, while recovering from injuries sustained in a fall, she has recruited 11 new members.

Volunteerism isn’t new to Marie. Recently she retired from the Girls Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia where she was the membership manger.  One of her duties was recruiting volunteers. So Marie understands the important role volunteers can play in our parks. Her drive to make the Friends group a success is a true example of her leadership.

Marie gets a hug from Ranger Redfox during a recent volunteer project

State parks are big places that offer many amenities and recreational opportunities. It takes a lot of work to keep those offerings available, and many parks rely on Friends groups to help out. Friends groups build and maintain trails, manage beautification projects, help staff visitor centers, work on educational outreach programs, and raise funds for park projects and facilities. They also help out at festivals, workshops and other park events. They're usually made up of local park supporters and typically enjoy tax-exempt status so donors can claim tax deductions. And they're always looking for new members.

The Friends of Twin Lakes members are currently working on various projects around the park. Their first project is to make improvements to the bird feeders at the park office and install a bench so visitors can watch the variety of birds who visit the park’s feeders throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more about the Friends of Twin Lakes State Park, please contact Marie at twinlakesparkfriends@gmail.com.

The park thanks Marie for all your hard work and for bringing together a great group of folks who make-up the Friends of Twin Lakes State Park.

Twin Lakes State Park is located in the Heart of Virginia, close to downtown Farmville and about an hour southwest of Richmond. Visitors have a variety of outdoor activities to choose from; swimming, fishing, hiking, and boating.  For overnight stays there are cabins and a campground. For information on availability for cabins and campsites or to make a reservation, you can reserve on line or call our customer service center at 1-800-933.7275.