Delaware Nature Society Program Guide and Newsletter March - July 2018 | Page 30

DelNature.org/Volunteer
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NATURE EXPLORER
March – July 2017
Refunds and Cancellations
Requests for withdrawal 5 business days
or more prior to the scheduled program
date will be honored. Requests less the 5
business days will be issued if the slot is
filled or at the discretion of the Education
staff. Programs may be canceled due to
low enrollment. Full refunds will be issued
for program cancellations.
Inclement Weather
Programs will be held rain, snow, or shine.
Please dress accordingly. In case of
inclement weather, activities may be
modified and moved indoors. Programs
may be canceled (and rescheduled or
refunded) due to severe weather at the
discretion of our Education staff.
Policies
Payments & Discounts
All programs must be paid in full at
the time of registration either by check
or credit card. We can’t hold spaces
pending receipt of payment. To receive
member discount rate, your membership
must be current through the date of your
scheduled program. We reserve the right
to charge the Non-member rate for
programs that occur after the expiration
date of your membership.
Volunteers like you can help with greeting,
office work, monitoring streams, and more.
Volunteer.
Make a difference.
Rick understands that reverence for the land
comes through hands-on experience and education.
Education is a powerful tool that Rick works to support
within his community with specific focus on early childhood to
middle school education. It was inspiring for Rick to learn of the
many ways in which we use our outdoor classroom to raise the
next generation with respect and appreciation for the natural
world. “If I can provide support behind the scenes changing
filters and oil, sharpening mower blades, and keeping the
tools of the farm running efficientl y, I know that I am freeing up
the dedicated staff to get out and share their knowledge with
others.” We could not appreciate Rick’s motivation more as it
speaks to a key component of our mission. Thank you, Rick!
Finding someone who can devote so much time on weekends
and weekday evenings to a never-ending list of tasks has been
rewarding for Coverdale. Rick carves out time for Coverdale
when he is not spending time with his family and working full-
time as a Banker, a career that spans close to 40-years and
Doing what he loves is a characteristic that Rick shares with
the entire staff at Coverdale. The other common thread that
makes Rick such a wonderful fit, not only for Coverdale but for
Delaware Nature Society, is his love for the land. Rick
has a deep, heart-felt connection to the Mid-Atlantic
Piedmont region. Early in his adult life, he knew
this is where he wanted to settle and raise his
family. Living in the borough of Kennett doesn’t
afford the opportunity to fire up a big tractor and
mow a vast field or network of trails. Joining
Coverdale allows him to be out on the land with
regularity and revel in the natural beauty.
With a regular and robust commitment to his
new role as Farm Equipment Maintenance &
Operation Volunteer, Rick has been a valued
member of our farm ever since that early June
evening. Coverdale’s full line of tractors, finish
mowers, mowing decks, small engine machines, and
wide variety of farm implements have benefitted greatly from
Rick’s talents and dedication. Rick shared that for him, “bringing
the extensive and valuable equipment line up to operational
condition for staff to use with confidence in the field, free of
concern from routine maintenance issues,” is very rewarding.
counting! Rick is also very involved in his community working
with volunteer and non-profit organizations in many capacities
from gardener to Board of Director President. When you meet
Rick it is clear that he is a driven individual, putting 110% into
everything he does and he does what he loves.
Last summer, Rick Cairns and his wife Barbara were enjoying
an evening of good friends and good food at Coverdale Farm
Preserve’s Cookbook Club. While cooking through the pages
of a beautiful cookbook in the farm kitchen, Rick struck up
a conversation with Coverdale Farm Preserve Manager and
Cookbook Club instructor, Michele Wales. They chatted about
birds and backyard habitat, but then Rick delivered a fateful
question: “Who does your mowing?” This question revealed
Rick’s life-long fascination, interest, and skill with machinery,
particularly farm machinery, and how it works. It was
clear by the end of the conversation that grease, oil,
engines, and wrenches have been in his hands
and heart since he was five years old, and that
Coverdale had a place for Rick!
By Michele Wales
Rick Cairns
Seasonal
Volunteer Highlight
Photographs/Video
Delaware Nature Society reserves the
right to use any photos/video/artwork
of program participants to promote our
mission unless otherwise notified in
writing.
Delaware Nature Society
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