WATCH NOW: Volunteers build new garden beds at Rescue Ranch |
John VanSickle and his parents, Polly and Joe construct a garden bed at the Rescue Ranch.
Joe VanSickle, right, and his son, John, put the finishing touches on a new garden bed at the Rescue Ranch.
Christina Dodge, left, and Emily Blakey put down landscape material in one of the two new garden beds at the Rescue Ranch.
Polly, right, her husband Joe, and son John VanSickle help build a new garden bed at the Rescue Ranch.
Edmund and Christina Dodge put down landscape fabric.
Edmund Dodge and his wife, Christine, work on one corner of a new garden bed while Emily Blakey, Polly Vansickle and Joe VanSickle discuss another part of the project.
Polly and Joe VanSickle work together on building a garden bed.
Polly VanSickle, her son, John and husband, Joe prepare to dump mulch into a garden bed.
Joe VanSickle, left, and his son, John, put mulch into a garden bed as mom Polly looks on.
Joe VanSickle, his son, John, and his wife, Polly, volunteered to work on new garden beds at the Rescue Ranch.
Edmund Dodge and his wife, Christina, and Joe VanSickle put mulch into a garden bed.
Christina Dodge prepares to spread the mulch her husband, Edmund, and Joe VanSickle are putting in the garden bed.
Christina Dodge and John VanSickle spread mulch in the new garden bed.
When the children arrive for spring camp at Rescue Ranch this week, they’ll be able to take part in placing plants in brand new garden beds.
The two garden beds along with freshening up some water-damaged areas along the nature trails are thanks to a group of volunteers who came out Saturday morning.
Joe VanSickle, his wife, Polly and son, John, spent the morning helping build the garden beds. Polly said John was taking part to earn volunteer hours as required as a student at Northview IB. But volunteering is nothing new to the family.
Polly said they began three years ago, volunteering to help at the Halloween event and they’ve come to look forward to their time at the Rescue Ranch. “We love it here,” she said.
Christina Dodge and her husband, Edmund, were also involved in putting the garden beds together. Like the VanSickles, they see it as a labor of love.
While the VanSickles and Dodges were constructing the garden beds, with assistance from Rescue Ranch Education Director Emily Blakey, another group of volunteers was on the nature trails revamping an area that was damaged by the recent heavy rains.
Blakely said both projects will enhance the experience for visitors at the Rescue Ranch.
She said the garden beds will be used by spring campers to plant gardens that will be used to feed some of the animals at the ranch. “We try to be as self-sustaining as possible since we’re a nonprofit,” she said.