Gabriel Bucataru/Unsplash
This year, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) needs help staffing their Pocket Park during the August 12-18 UP State Fair in Escanaba.
The park—a one-acre site located within the fairgrounds—is dedicated to teaching outdoor skills to Michigan’s youngest residents.
Activities volunteers will have opportunities to help kids catch and release bluegill fish in the UP-shaped pond, shoot pellet guns or bow and arrow, staff the fire tower, or greet visitors. Organizers expect a large turnout this year, so plenty of volunteer shifts are available.
“Volunteering at the Pocket Park is a positive and rewarding experience all the way around,” said Jo Ann Alexander, one of the DNR volunteer organizers, in a recent press release.
“Youth enjoy a fun experience, parents get to introduce their kids to potentially new activities, with the help of others, and the volunteers gain the satisfaction of knowing they are helping guide youth in recreation activities that may help shape their future interests.”
Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and pass a background check. Shift options available during fair week include:
- 5-8 p.m. on Opening Day (August 12)
- 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (August 13-17)
- Noon to 3 p.m. on the final day of the fair (August 18)
Training is provided for all activities, and volunteers also get a meal and commemorative t-shirt. The Pocket Park is open Memorial Day through Labor Day for family gatherings, picnics, youth organizations, school groups, sports associations, scouting campouts, and public events that include some introduction to fishing, shooting, or outdoor recreation.
Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Jo Alexander via email, [email protected]. For more information or to book an event at the Pocket Park, click here.
Author
Support Our Cause
Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Michiganders and our future.
Since day one, our goal here at The 'Gander has always been to empower people across the state with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Michigan families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.
Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: ‘The people closest to the problem are often the ones who can find the solution’
About two years ago, tents started to show up in my neighborhood along the creek beds and in small stands of trees. Most only became visible when...
A love letter to the working class, from Gwen Frisbie-Fulton
It started in the back seat of my family’s Jeep Cherokee, the one with the broken AC and vinyl seats that stuck to my thighs in the late summer...
Fresh food, stronger farms: Michigan invests millions to support local agriculture
A new ‘Farm-to-Family’ grant program aims to connect Michigan farmers with more consumers, boost local economies, and build a stronger food system....
Rooted in Tradition: How Michigan’s Christmas tree industry is keeping the holiday spirit alive
Family farms—and traditions—help Michigan produce more Christmas trees than almost every other state in the country. GOBLES—Under a clear December...
How Gen-Z is helping rural Michiganders turn out to vote in the UP
Michigan is one of several critical swing states in this year’s election, and for Carly Sandstrom, a Marquette native and canvasser with the...
