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Ottawa County Parks Foundation - May Newsletter
Volunteer organizations support our parks
The Ottawa County Parks Foundation raises funds for land acquisition and park enhancements. The Friends of Ottawa Parks sponsor events to encourage park use and awareness. Parks volunteers assist with land management, maintenance, and monitoring.
Volunteers make our parks go from good to great!
 Green Investment: Volunteers give and get benefits in Ottawa County Parks
Whether hiking a trail to check for downed trees or learning about vernal ponds in a seminar, Tom Galetto and John Gervais find plenty to do as volunteers in the Ottawa County park system.
They have a great time enjoying the parks while also working in them — but the parks system and its thousands of guests get so much more from the around 2000 people who volunteer up to 10,000 hours of labor each year to enhance the Ottawa County Parks experience.
 “I’ve got time, I enjoy being outdoors, the parks are a beautiful place to be, and in this way, I’ve been able to see parks and go to parks I otherwise would not have gone to,” said Galetto, a retired Grand Haven resident. “And I’m learning some things about the outdoors that I never really knew, including this workshop.”
Learn more about the Parks Steward program that Tom and John are a part of in our second Green Investment story >>
Green Investment is an occasional series about the positive impact of Ottawa County parks on the quality of life in West Michigan, presented by the Ottawa County Parks Foundation.
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Thank you to our
Breakfast at the Park event sponsors!
Gold Leadership Sponsor
Dickson Wright
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Leadership Sponsor & Adopt-a-Park Company
Tyson Foods
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Community Sponsors
Baird
Barber Ford of Holland
Prein&Newhof
Tim & Jane Stoepker
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Community Sponsors & Adopt-a-Park Company
Chow Hound Pet Supplies
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Friend Sponsors
GEI Consultants
Kennari Consulting
Scott & Julie Reenders
David & Barb VanGinhoven
 The Shoreline Amateur Astronomical Association (SAAA) is raising funds for West Michigan’s first public observatory!
The $65,000 observatory is planned for Hemlock Crossing County Park, near the Nature Education Center. Plans can be found online.
The Ottawa County Parks Foundation as well as the Friends of Ottawa County Parks have each donated $2,500, and Ottawa County Parks donated $5,000 toward the effort, pushing them just over half way to their goal. They have raised approximately $35,000 so far.
If you are interested in supporting this endeavor, please visit the SAAA online.
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Your historical tidbit for May 2018 is from the Grand Haven Tribune on June 15, 1892.
 Board member and local historian Marjorie Viveen will be presenting Old Times, Places, and Faces along the Grand River Greenway throughout 2018. Immerse yourself in local history by joining us for this free series at the Nature Education Center at Hemlock Crossing County Park at 10 am on July 14.
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