Volunteer at Merry Lea
There are many ways to get invololved and volunteer at Merry Lea. The following is a list of some of volunteer opportunities that are available. Go the the Volunteer Forms page to download interest forms.
If you are interested in helping with any of these programs please contact
Jenny Spitler at jennyds@goshen.edu or
call (260) 799-5869.
Trail
Teaching Guides
Between 7,000 and 8,000 school children participate in Merry Lea run programs
every year. We rely on volunteers to help teach all of these programs. After
training, volunteers can help to guide groups on trails, around the farm, through
the sugarbush, or to the gravel pit. Volunteers teach, lead learning
activities, and communicate their love of the natural world to area children.
Enchanted
Forest
Every year in late October the animals in the woods can talk to people and
share about their lives. This is a special program that draws in hundreds
of local groups and families. We always need lots of volunteers to be
animals (we provide costumes), trail guides, kitchen help, and lots of other
support needs.
Gardens
Gardening is a lot of work! Many times throughout the growing season
there is a need for extra hands to help get the work done. So, if you
would enjoy planting, weeding, or especially harvesting we could use your help.
Farmcraft
As a volunteer teacher for this program you take students on a tour of our
farm to help them learn about how farming was done before electricity.
Sugarbush
Help teach students about the craft of making Maple Syrup at the Yoder Sugarbush
in Huntertown. You can teach students how to tap trees, use a two person
saw, boil down the sap and much more. This program also requires a lot
of non-teaching volunteers.
Sugarbush
Support and Production Help
Our sugarbush program runs for 6 weeks in February and March. This program
requires more than just teaching volunteers. We also need support volunteers
to help keep mulitple fires burning and just lend a hand with the production
of syrup and the daily programs. We also need people to come in the afternoon
and weekends to help collect gallons upon gallons of sap.