National Park Service Grant for Environmental Education Center and Volunteer Program at Cuyahoga Valley National Park

In addition, the Conservancy has two full-time staff who work collaboratively with the park’s Volunteer Program Manager. This team of three has grown the park’s Volunteer Program over the past two years by over 50% (to over 5,700 volunteers) and has developed a variety of new and creative opportunities for volunteers, allowing them to get involved and become park stewards/ambassadors.
and 1) The Conservancy is a local non-profit organization based in the Cuyahoga Valley and has strong ties and long-standing, trusted relationships with the surrounding communities in the park. 2) The Conservancy owns Trail Mix, a small store located adjacent to the Towpath Trail, but outside of park boundaries. This store serves as a hub for park visitors to gather and as central location for park visitors to obtain information about the park and its programs. 3) The Conservancy also owns all of the furniture and appliances at the Stanford House, which is utilized mainly for Environmental Education programming purposes. 4) The existing volunteer base of 5,700+ people assist the organization with everything from hosting special events; to leading public programs in the areas of education, cultural arts, and nature; and removing invasive species, to name a few. These volunteers also include the Board of Trustees made up of 30 dedicated community leaders from the Cleveland and Akron areas. 5) The Conservancy actively fund-raises (approximately 50% of its operating budget) to help support its operation and programs. The Conservancy’s reputation and skilled staff have also enabled the organization to bring additional support to the park through various in-kind donations of equipment and skilled, technical labor. 6) The Conservancy’s staff brings a high level of educational, arts, marketing, and customer service expertise that the NPS alone could not provide.