Volunteer Opportunities

Park Volunteers
Parents Association for Youth Sports
NYSA Coaches Training

Volunteer Opportunities at Simpson Garden Park
Opportunities to beautify Simpson Garden Park, City Park, and the Community Center: 2010

Click here to view volunteer opportunities

Land Stewards

Help to restore native prairie and savanna habitats at the Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve! Activities include seed collection, planting of seeds and transplants, removal of weeds, and trail maintenance. Wearing long pants and shoes (not sandals) is advised.

Three ways to participate:

Schedule a work session for your classroom and scout or civic organizations.
Junior High students, High school students, college students and adults can arrange to help participate by filling out a volunteer form and making arrangements with the Nature Center Staff.
Saturday morning volunteer opportunities are scheduled seasonally for 3^rd-6^th graders each fall and spring.

Please call the Natural Resources Staff at the Rotary Nature Center for more information, 419-353-0301.

Click here for a list of Volunteer Opportunities at Wintergarden/St. John's Nature Preserve

Volunteer In Parks

Volunteers play a significant role in helping to make the programs offered through Bowling Green Parks and Recreation a success.

Volunteer opportunities include:

Coaching youth sports
Assisting with special events
Assisting with nature hikes
Assisting with habitat restoration including seed collecting, the planting of seeds and transplants, and the removal of weeds
Assisting with summer camps
Helping to maintain formal gardens
Assisting with general park up-keep including trail maintenance, raking leaves and litter pick up

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please call the department at 419-354-6223, or stop by and fill out a volunteer form. We will be happy to help you find the right program for your skills and interests.

NYSCA Coaching

The Bowling Green Parks and Recreation Department is a certified chapter of the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA) and offers training clinics for youth sport coaches in various sports. Coaches are instructed in the areas of the psychology of coaching youth sports, maximizing athletic performance, first aid and safety, how to organize a fun and interesting practice, and tips on teaching sports techniques.

Successful completion of this training, and the payment of the annual fee (covered by the department for our league coaches) entitles the coach to regular information from the NYSCA and $1,000,000 in excess liability insurance coverage. For more information on these clinics contact Kristin Otley at (419) 354-6225.

Parents Association for Youth Sports

The Parents Association for Youth Sports (PAYS) is a membership association of the National Alliance for Youth Sports. The purpose of PAYS is to educate and motivate youth league parents to create the ultimate youth sports environment aimed at making the child’s experience safe, positive and meaningful. PAYS encourages good sportsmanship, positive participation and keeping youth sports in its proper perspective among PAYS members. The PAYS approach is a combination of education; motivation and positive reinforcement that are essential to making the child’s experience a positive one to remember.

These clinics last only about a half hour and will be held at the beginning of each of our youth sport seasons, as well as throughout the year. The Bowling Green Exchange Club is sponsoring this program so there will be no fee to the parents that go through this important training. Individual sessions can also be scheduled throughout the year around your busy schedule. For questions or more information call the office at 419-354-6223.