The Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) is excited to hold two future service projects for Jersey Cares' Earth Keepers program and needs student volunteers. The service projects take place on Thursday, Sept. 20 and Friday, Sept. 28.
The Earth Keepers program is just one of many different volunteer opportunities Jersey Cares holds. Jersey Cares is a nonprofit organization devoted to uniting communities through community service. Jersey Cares takes on a variety of impact areas such as health and wellness, hunger and homelessness, senior citizens, education and youth services, animals, disaster services and environmental concerns.
The Sept. 20 Earth Keepers project will be held at the Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Garden in Montclair, NJ.
The Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Garden is based at the 7 1/2 acre of Mountainside Park. With a flower bed of roughly 14,000 irises with about 3,000 varieties, the Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Garden is the United State's largest public iris garden. Visitors get to enjoy approximately 100,000 blooms over the course of the iris season. It is considered a living museum as it is home to some varieties that were planted as early as the 1500s. Students will have the opportunity to help in the preservation of this park, which is fondly nicknamed "rainbow on the hill."
The Sept. 28 project will be held at the Essex County Branch Brook Park, which is celebrated as the United States first county park. Students who partake in this particular project will work alongside Rutgers Master Gardeners. Both Kean student volunteers and Rutgers Master Gardeners will work together on behalf of Branch Brook Park Alliance's partnership with the Community Foundation of New Jersey to maintain the park.
Volunteers may be asked to care for plants, remove weeds, plant, assist in the preservation of historic trails or add mulch to either park. Students are thus advised to wear clothes that they are willing to get dirty as well as to dress appropriately for the weather and wear close-toed shoes.
Pre-registration is mandatory for these two service projects and the application can be found on Cougar Link. Student volunteers need not worry about transportation as information regarding it will be provided to approved volunteers at a date closer to their chosen service project. Questions about these service projects or any other volunteer opportunities can be directed to CLS service specialists in the Miron Student Center, Room 219. Students may also call (908) 737-5170 or email serve@kean.edu.
