Volunteer with Nature Links!
Part of our mission here at Nature Links is to empower our participants to be active community members. As people with disabilities are often excluded from community participation, we work hard to create opportunities for participants to engage with a wide range of individuals with diverse interests and skill sets. Our participants love meeting and interviewing guest speakers! We’ve had the pleasure of meeting farmers, artists, scientists, activists, conservationists, restaurant owners, and more, who log on to share their personal experiences and answer participants’ questions. Guest speakers who volunteer to meet with us help provide important social connections and knowledge of the world around us. They inspire participants to seek out new job opportunities, explore new forms of art or cook a new dish at home. They allow participants to feel connected, included, and seen.
Do you have special skills, interests, or information you could share with our group? We are always looking for guest speakers who can volunteer with Nature Links by leading a 45-minute workshop or presentation. Please contact us to set up a time to meet our participants and share your experience or expertise with us! Here are a few of our past guest speakers who have led memorable, informative classes for Nature Links…
Krystyna Sadej (artist using recycled materials)- Krystyna Sadej is a mixed media and textile artist who lives in a small town near Ottowa, Canada. Krystyna learned to weave just after her first husband died. She found that the practice of weaving brought her solace and peace in a time of great despair. Originally from Poland, Krystyna also found that weaving helped her process the nostalgia she felt for her home country and the life she had left behind. Krystyna began to create gorgeous tapestries using wool and other fabric, but when she realized that there were so many materials that she couldn’t recycle in her hometown, her art took on a new form. Krystyna now creates incredible artwork using discarded video tape, children’s clothing, soda tabs, plastic bags, and even human hair. Her work not only makes use of items that would otherwise sit in a landfill, it also encourages viewers to think about how those materials are consumed and discarded. We were so inspired by Krystyna and her artwork.
Krystyna in front of a tapestry called “Moment in Time”, created by weaving plastic bags and videotape. The photo is from her website.
Alison Cohen (creator of “The Inspiration Show”)- Alison Cohen is only 14 years old, but she’s old enough to know that the world could use a little more hope. Alison is the creator and host of “The Inspiration Show”, a 1-on-1 interview series published via Instagram that features people with inspiring life stories. Alison has interviewed over 25 guests, including TV stars like Val Chmerkovskiy from Dancing with the Stars and Geraldine Leer who is known for her roles on "Mystic Pizza", "Christmas Camp" and One Royal Holiday, among others. She’s interviewed the mother of a young girl with a congenital heart defect and an 11-year-old host of a podcast about youth media literacy. She’s interviewed visual artists, refugees, rabbis and opera singers. Alison says, "The mission of The Inspiration Show is to inspire others through the stories and courageous efforts of those who have inspired me."
Alison Cohen is the host of “The Inspiration Show”, a 1-on-1 interview series on Instagram that highlights the courageous life stories of her guests.
Lisa DePasqual (master gardener and food activist)- Lisa DePasqual is a retired rocket scientist, but she also happens to know a thing or two about gardening. As a master gardener, Lisa has received in-depth training in the science of horticulture and readily shares her expertise with her community. As a resident of Brooklin, Maine, Lisa runs the town’s community garden and c0-organizes the Brooklin Food Corps, an organization that works to create a more resilient food system for Brooklin and the surrounding community. Lisa volunteered with Nature Links to show us around the Brooklin community garden. She gave us tips and tricks on how to grow the best carrots, basil and tomatoes, while explaining the benefits of growing your own food. Lisa has so much knowledge to share and we were grateful to spend time with her in the garden.
Children in Brooklin, Maine participating in an event with the Brooklin Food Corps.
The opportunity to meet someone new and learn from their experiences and knowledge is so exciting for Nature Links participants. Help give that gift by emailing us at info@naturelinks.org. We can’t wait to meet you!
