BRECKSVILLE, Ohio - Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) is proud to announce that a dedicated group of students and their teacher, Candace Bates, from Archbishop Hoban High School Center for Sustainability in Akron have been awarded the 2022 George and Helen Hartzog Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service in the Impact Award Team Category. This award recognizes one group nationwide, who has consistently volunteered and collaborated for impact in a national park.
The Archbishop Hoban Center for Sustainability combines a rigorous academic program with field experience, service learning, and student interests to allow high school students the opportunity to develop and test programs in Cuyahoga Valley National Park that address issues related to Environmental Science, Bioethics and/or Public Health.
During the 2021-22 school year, four high school seniors visited the park every month to volunteer with park ranger Josh Bates and carry out work related to their research project proposals. Service included planting native trees, data collection, and assisting interpretive and resource management staff in various projects. Student research projects benefitted the park in the areas of trail accessibility, water recreation and safety, mental health and nature, and increasing resources available to non-native English speakers.
“We are extremely proud of these students and their hard work throughout the school year", said Lisa Petit, CVNP Superintendent. “They deserve this national recognition for their impressive contributions to CVNP.
The George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service are given annually to recognize the exemplary contributions National Park Service volunteers make to their park and to their community. George B. Hartzog, Jr. served as the Director of the National Park Service and created the Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) program in 1970. In retirement, he and his wife, Helen, established a fund to support the program and honor the efforts of volunteers.
CVNP encompasses over 33,000 acres along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. Managed by the National Park Service, CVNP combines cultural, historical, recreational, and natural resources in one setting. For more information, visit us at www.nps.gov/cuva on Facebook ,Twitter or Instagram, or call 440-717-3890.
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Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service