On June 2, 2025, the Oregon Ridge Nature Center Council (ORNCC) celebrated its volunteers and scholarship recipients at its Annual Council Meeting. This meeting is meant to bring together Board members, membership and special Baltimore County guests to acknowledge the fiscal year’s work and accomplishments as a 501(c)(3) organization. Its mission is to “provide engaging educational and recreational opportunities in nature that will instill a sense of wonder, promote environmental stewardship and create a lasting legacy of positive choices in our own backyards, Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay.”
Currently, we have over 150 volunteers who elect to participate in various programs for both the Council and Baltimore County’s Oregon Ridge Nature Center. Their professional backgrounds are varied, they are involved in multiple social service roles; e.g., Boy/Girl Scout leaders, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists and are leaders in the community. They all have a deep sense of commitment to nature and the habitat that we as humans invade each day – a group with a significant understanding of the importance of Mother Earth and not taking her for granted.
The cumulative work of the volunteers was evaluated for the annual meeting. While each State provides an estimated cost/hour for volunteer time, we choose to report on the number of hours of service our ORNCC volunteers provide to protect and improve Oregon Ridge Park. It should be noted that these hours are not absolute, as it is currently impossible to capture all the hours individuals put forth while working on certain projects.
Our findings are as follows:
- Fundraisers and Festivals – 1,582 hours
- ORNCC Public Programming – 226 hours
- ORNCC Estimated Committee and Independent Contributions – 1,367 hours
- BCRP’s ORNC Volunteer Supported Programming – 248 hours
The value of volunteer support is of great significance for all organizations. Without our volunteers, we would not be able to accomplish our mission.