Volunteer Information
 

  As a member of Friends of Lockwood you can volunteer for a variety of project or chores.  We do not work with the horses as that is through the Rockford Park District and Lockwood Park, we work with the farm animals at the Children’s Farm and do a lot of other fun things like:



 

v    OUTDOOR CLEANUP PROJECTS: Weeding fence line, brush and tree trimming on trails.
  *see more details below

v    ANIMAL CHORES/CHILDREN’S FARM: Cleaning out stalls, watering and feeding animals.

v    BALING HAY: Lifting and stacking hay (must be able to lift 50 lbs.)*see more details below

v    SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: General maintenance.

v    HOST AT THE CHILDREN’S FARM: Talking with guests about animals, monitoring farm area.
  *see more details below

v    SPECIAL EVENTS: Collecting money, event set up/tear down, making phone calls, being in charge of
  booths at fundraisers: informing people about Lockwood Park and selling items from the gift shop.

v    GIFT SHOP: Opening shop, minor set up, sales of merchandise, keeping of inventory.

v    TRACTOR DRIVERS:  You must be trained at the park to drive a tractor.

  We ask that you sign up for 2-4 hours shifts and our season runs from April to November.  If you are interested in being a volunteer at Lockwood Park or the Children’s Farm you need to fill out a Volunteer Information Sheet.  At that time you can pick the duties you would like and the hours or shifts you prefer.  After you have done that you are required to fill out a Volunteer Packet for the Rockford Park District.  You must be at least 14 years old to volunteer without supervision.  After you have received approval from the Park District you are ready to start. We do have a Volunteer Coordinator that will call you when we need someone for your chosen duty or you can sign up on a weekly basis. 

*Baling hay is hot and heavy work!!! The first cut is usually around the 1^st or 2^nd week of June depending on the weather.  We will get a second cutting at the end of July or 1^st of August, we could get a 3^rd cutting if we have enough rain throughout the growing season.  We HAVE to make hay when the sun shines.  This means weekends and weekdays on very short notice.  Most ot the time we can’t even start bailing until 1:00pm because the dew is still on the hay and we can’t bail wet hay, so we generally need help to unload and stack the hay around 3:00 or 4:00pm and we work until dark.  We do this everyday until the hay is in.  We know that most of you can’t commit to all of the time needed for baling but if you can volunteer for 2 or 3 hours the will help save the park A LOT of money.

*We need hosts at the Children’s farm to answer questions about the farm animals and to sell feed, to clean the barns and pasture and this year we are staring a new feature, we are going to bring out one farm animal at a time so people can pet them and see them up close.  The busiest times for this are on the weekends.

*We have 2-3 volunteer weekends a year that we concentrate on outdoor projects like trimming along the fences and the creek, putting mulch around the bushes and trees, trimming the trees back on the horse trails, painting or staining the arenas and general maintenance of the park.  If you would like to volunteer for these weekends check with the office at 987-8809 or call Marylon Cole at 654-2007 for more information during the spring and summer months.

As a rule, Friends of Lockwood volunteers do not work in, around, or with dangerous or potentially hazardous materials.  However, there are potential physical hazards that may be encountered from time to time.  Some of the more common potential hazards and precautions to be taken are as follows:

·        Routine building hazards: stairways, slippery floors and electric outlets are always present. Common
    sense and alertness should minimize these potential hazards.  Special attention should be paid to the
    ladder leading to the hayloft and the hay drop area in the loft floor.

·        If you volunteer to work in or around the barns or hay loft proper clothing should be worn to protect
    against wind, sun, rain, heat and cold.  Proper footwear is a must.  Suggested types are: hard soled
    leather shoes, rubber boots for the mud and insulated boots for winter wear.  Gloves are suggested
    when working in the barn or stable.

·       Wild animal and insect hazards do exist when working outdoors.  Bees and wasps are present most
    time of the year.  Volunteers should not touch or pick up any wild or stray animals they encounter at
    Lockwood.  Any animals that appear sick or injured should be left alone and reported to the
    manager.  Stings and bites should be reported immediately to the manager.

·        Friends of Lockwood volunteers will not drive Park District vehicles or operate power equipment
    unless proper safety training has been given and documented.  Volunteers will use hand tools and these
    require proper use to be safe.

·        Fire extinguishers are located through the buildings.  Volunteers should familiarize themselves with their
    locations in case of emergency. SMOKING IS FORBIDDEN IN ALL BARNS, BUILDINGS AND
    VEHICLES.

·        A first aid kit is available in the park trucks and in the office.  Practice of first aid should be left to
    qualified persons.  In the event of a medical emergency dial 911.

·        Volunteers should take all precautions to avoid accidents.  They should be careful and alert at all
     times.  Volunteers must satisfy all training requirements before actual volunteering begins.
 

If you are interested in being a volunteer for the Friends of Lockwood, please call Tonya Franklin at 964-9521.