Troy Nature Society Honors Dedicated Volunteers

The following information was provided by the Troy Nature Society.

The Troy Nature Society (TNS), which began operational management of the Lloyd A. Stage Nature Center in July 2011, recently held a reception to honor its many volunteers.  Individuals were acknowledged for donating service hours in support of TNS educational programs, Spring Clean Up projects, trail maintenance, the Maple Syrup event, fund-raising, administrative support and the photography club.

Among those receiving awards was TNS volunteer Karol Carter, who was honored for donating the most hours to the organization in the past fiscal year.  Carter began volunteering at the Troy Nature Center in 2008 as a blue bird monitor and later cared for the amphibians and reptiles that were on display at that time.  Since then, she has helped TNS in various areas of volunteer support such as educational programming, gardening and trail maintenance. Lately, if you are a visitor to the center on Tuesday mornings, you will also see Karol’s friendly face at the front desk welcoming visitors and providing them with information.

As part of the evening’s festivities, volunteers and their family members were treated to a visit from Wildlife Educator Daniel J. Briere, who brought various wildlife creatures for the guests to meet and enjoy.  Among Briere’s collection was an African parrot, tortoise, tarantula, chinchilla, and even a young crocodile. The star of the show, especially for the children attending, was a 10-foot albino python that drew many questions from audience members who wanted to know more about this exotic creature.

Individuals interested in volunteering for the Society can visit the TNS website for information on areas of support needed.  Particularly at this time, individuals for Front Desk Support are needed on a weekly basis. Training is provided – just a sunny disposition and a willingness to assist visitors to the center is needed.

The Troy Nature Society is a nonprofit organization supporting the educational nature and science programs of the Lloyd A. Stage Nature Center, a 100-acre preserve located in Troy.  The society’s mission is to provide resources and education to inspire the appreciation and preservation of nature.  For further information, please visit www.troynaturesociety.org or call (248) 688-9703.