Keeping the wheels turning and landscapes thriving at a park system spanning more than 4,000 acres is a coordinated effort, with multiple groups working together. Volunteers are a vital part of this endeavor at The Parklands. In honor of National Volunteer Month in April, we’re shining a spotlight on a couple of the dedicated individuals who help make The Parklands possible.

Instrumental partners in sustaining our mission

Curtis Carman, Director of Education and Programming at The Parklands, oversees our volunteer program, which includes people who come to us from a cross-section of the Louisville metropolitan area. He says all volunteers serve as instrumental partners in our mission to preserve and maintain unexcelled parklands that reflect the needs and values of our whole community.

Curtis says volunteers assist every department in some way, whether it’s providing park information at a public event, helping the horticulture team mulch garden beds, or keeping a watchful eye on our trails.

Lynn Luking, a retired educator who keeps our visitors informed

Lynn Luking is a volunteer who contributed to The Parklands even before the first playground opened in 2012. Once she became aware of the initial plans, she knew she wanted to be involved in some way.

“I was grateful that this wonderful project was going to be developed in my city.”

She has helped the Education Team with its programs and supported events like our annual Field & Fork fundraiser and the Education Luncheon. Having witnessed firsthand the impact of the Education staff on children and the public, she is a committed advocate for their work.

“Being a retired educator, I am in awe of the knowledge and expertise of staff members on the Education Team.”

At events and through her regular park outings, Lynn interacts with people, promoting classes and providing them with information on the parks.

Even with no people in sight, Lynn keeps an eye open for things that can be done at the parks to help assure everyone has a great visit. On days when she is at the parks biking or hiking, she supports our Operations Team by alerting them to issues like a trail obstructed by a tree branch. She takes to heart the goal of The Parklands to ensure all visitors have a positive recreational experience with us.

She says being a volunteer at The Parklands “is an easy and fun job, especially if you’re out there anyway enjoying the parks for yourself.”

When asked if she has a favorite park area, Lynn says she sees the whole park system as her playground. It has enriched her in a significant way, and she helps keep visitors informed so that it may do so for them as well.

Judy Steinhauer, volunteer gardener

Judy Steinhauer, a gardener who has shaped our landscapes

Judy Steinhauer is a gardener who has spent nearly a decade as a volunteer working primarily with the Horticulture and Natural Areas Team, though she has promoted and enjoyed The Parklands for years before officially signing up as a volunteer.

“I volunteer with the gardening group every Wednesday. I go to natural areas and garden beds—wherever the team decides there is a need. I do a range of things, including putting deer bags around trees, mulching, weeding, planting, and so on.”

Judy says staff members from The Parklands join the group at the start of every meeting and provide everything they might need on projects, such as garden tools, shovels, rakes, clippers, and trowels. She says her work has helped her become familiar with gardens and forested areas throughout the park system, including some areas beyond the usual pathways.

The Moss Gibbs Woodland Garden is a particularly memorable project for Judy. Before the garden was fully opened to the public in 2019, she says she and other volunteers spent several years moving, transplanting, and planting additional native wildflowers to bring the landscape plans to life.

Prior to being involved with the gardening volunteer group at The Parklands, Judy helped the Education Team look for monarch butterflies as part of survey project. She collaborated with another volunteer, Connie Farmer, who led the project. They reported their findings to Monarch Watch, an education, research, and conservation program with an emphasis on citizen science.

When she’s not volunteering, Judy says the Woodland Garden is her favorite place at The Parklands for meditating and relaxing. She also loves walking along the Wild Hyacinth Trail in May.

A shared passion for nature

Since Curtis began his involvement with the volunteer program in 2019, he has tried to cultivate a community of people who share the same passion for access to nature. He wants volunteers to feel like they are part of the family at The Parklands.

The contributions and dedicated commitment of our volunteers show that Curtis has made great progress toward this goal.

Lynn takes every opportunity to share her love for the park system with visitors. She not only provides factual information that’s helpful to visitors, but she also enthusiastically points out the wonders of the parks—like her recent sighting of a red-winged blackbird with white on the undertail, which is not typical for the species.

Judy also appreciates being able to share her knowledge with others. Drawing from her volunteer experience at The Parklands, she shares gardening tips and information with everyone from park visitors to the girls she supports through her volunteer work with girls and adults in Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana.

Volunteering offers important benefits

Volunteering at The Parklands offers many rewards, including contributing to a world-class park system designed for everyone to enjoy. Volunteers cite these other benefits as well:

EDUCATION: Volunteers like Lynn and Judy have learned from the staff and passed on their knowledge to others. Judy says her group learns something from the staff and each other every time they meet.

FULFILLMENT: Giving back is something that’s important to all of our volunteers. Judy also cites the gratification she gets from seeing the impact of her contributions. She says there have been times when she’s walked down a trail and spotted one of her plantings. A year or two later, she would see that it looked great. She says it’s especially rewarding to know that something she planted might still be there 50 years from now.

HEALTH: Lynn and Judy are at the parks getting exercise up to five times a week. Volunteers and visitors alike have expressed that their park activities have had positive impacts on their health and overall well-being.

COMMUNITY: Volunteers at The Parklands enjoy opportunities to socialize and gain new friends. They also value their interactions with staff members. In addition to learning from staff, Judy has celebrated with them too. She appreciates the end-of-planting-season lunches hosted by Aaron Boggs, Director of Horticulture, Natural Areas, and Trails, and his team. Lynn holds the Education Team in high regard and says all staff members are amazing.

How you can get involved

Interested in getting involved in The Parklands as a volunteer? To apply and learn about orientation dates, visit our website: theparklands.org.

If you’re unsure about how you might contribute, Lynn says there isn’t anything you can’t do to help the park. She adds you can put in as much or as little as you want. From time to time, we seek volunteers on single days to help out with projects which help support the maintenance and operations of The Parklands. We also offer ongoing volunteering opportunities.

NEW VOLUNTEER NEED FOR 2025: We are deeply grateful for all the volunteers who have come from areas all across the city to contribute to The Parklands. This year, we look forward to starting and growing our first volunteer flood cleanup crew. Floyds Fork is a dynamic stream that floods regularly. While our plant and animal life are adapted to this natural flood regime, it can wreak havoc on park infrastructure, including trails, roads, fences, and the Louisville Loop.

We are hoping to create a dedicated group of volunteers we can call on to assist our team in flood cleanup efforts, so visitors can continue enjoying a safe, clean, fun, and beautiful park system!