One of the best parts of my job is working with volunteers. They never cease to amaze me in their dedication and willingness to serve.

Friends of Chippokes State Park

Recently, park staff stepped up to submit their choice of individual park volunteers and or groups to receive statewide recognition and an award from Virginia State Parks for outstanding service. It is a very difficult task, as many are deserving. Accomplishments include; advocacy, photography, trail work, planning and executing special events and filling in for staff in visitor centers, as contact rangers, interpreters, and sometimes as maintenance rangers, which can involve very hard manual labor. 

Virginia State Parks Friends Groups and Citizens Support Organizations (CSO) sponsor events and programs, and do fundraising for environmental education, park facilities, interpretive tools and supplies, community outreach and special projects. Volunteers often complete projects that otherwise would not be possible! The list goes on and is very impressive.

We celebrate and acknowledge these incredible people and their accomplishments!

This year's volunteer co-recipients of the Volunteer of the Year award were personally involved with the creation of a Friends Group.

In addition, the winner of the Volunteer Group of the Year Award is a Virginia State Park's Friends Group!

Virginia State Parks 2021 Volunteer of the Year

Patti and Jim Gerhart of Smith Mountain Lake State Park

Jim Gerhart speaking at the Pontoon Boat Dedication

These examples are only a small fraction of Jim and Patti Gerhart's contributions to Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Their hard work, dedication, can-do attitudes, and spirit of teamwork will not be forgotten as they turn the page to the next chapter of their lives in their move to Pennsylvania. We wish them well; Pennsylvania is very lucky!

Virginia State Parks 2021 Volunteer Group of the Year

Friends of Chippokes State Park

The Friends of Chippokes, established in 1999, display a purposeful, mission-oriented dedication to the park. Its mission is to identify and promote activities to enhance the cultural and natural resources of Chippokes State Park. They go above and beyond their mission to support the park and staff. They currently have 25 very active members!

The Friends of Chippokes State Park raise money for park projects and major park events. Members volunteer in visitor service, special events, programs, retail, maintenance and interpretation, but they do so much more. They are unique among Virginia State Parks’ Friends Groups. They run their own gift shop in the historic area of the park and make hand-crafted items to sell.

Friends members provide tours of the historic Jones-Stewart Mansion and give hearth cooking demonstrations in the Brick Kitchen. Their presence in the historic area is invaluable. They serve as ambassadors, greeting guests, engaging them in friendly conversation, and informing them about future events.

Friends of Chippokes - Garden Work Day

The Friends also conduct Garden Work Days twice a month, focusing their efforts on the mansion gardens and grounds. Their hard work has made a difference to park visitors who enjoy the lovingly maintained flower beds along the brick walkway and around the mansion.

Working "Woodchucks" - Friends of Chippokes

Along with volunteering hundreds of hours each year, the Friends of Chippokes conduct fundraising activities for the park, especially firewood preparation for campground use. The "Woodchucks," as they are known, meet twice a week to buck, split, wrap, stack, and transport firewood. In 2021, their hard labor resulted in $20,000 in donations. Of which $16,000  was generously put toward the renovation of the Conference Shelter. The shelter is used for wedding receptions and other events. The screened-in picnic shelter was transformed into a highly functional, four-season facility for public use with the donation. Along with providing funding, Friends Group members assisted staff in all stages of the major renovation.

Friends of Chippokes - Fall Decorating

On top of all their efforts, the Friends of Chippokes also run events such as the Easter Egg Hunt and the Garden Tea and co-sponsor other events, including the Harvest Festival and Holiday Open House. These events attract hundreds of eager participants and engage the local community in year-round festivities.

Additional achievements in 2021 include:

• The receipt of a Garden Club of Virginia grant.
• Facilitating the donation of goods and services from local businesses.
• The purchase of a chainsaw and log splitter.
• Running a booth at the Smithfield Farmers Market to promote the park and offer pumpkins for a donation.

The beautiful "Naked Ladies" (aka Red spider lilies) maintained by the Friends of Chippokes

There are so many incredible volunteers and Friend Groups in Virginia State Parks. I wish I could mention them all by name and tell you their stories. However, that would take a book, not a blog. 

Thank you so much to all volunteers for your service and dedication! You help to make award-winning Virginia State Parks so very special. You have my utmost admiration and gratitude. 

I hope you get to meet some of these wonderful people on your next visit to a Virginia State Park and get a chance to say thank you.

Perhaps, you would like to become one of those volunteers? Visit dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/volunteers Or be a member of a Friends Group? Visit dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/friend-groups 

For more information, contact your local Virginia State Park or the Office of Volunteerism and Community Engagement at vspvolunteer@dcr.virginia.gov or 804-625-3984

Thank you to park staff and the Office of Volunteerism and Community Engagement for their contributions to this article.