Common Ground Newsletter - Tinicum Conservancy
Common Ground Newsletter - Tinicum Conservancy
Common Ground Newsletter - Tinicum Conservancy
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TC <strong>Newsletter</strong>-Spring '13-4-23-Replaced map and seal:TC Newesletter-Spring '13 4/23/13 6:29 PM Page 3<br />
Vital Volunteers<br />
Into our third decade, <strong>Tinicum</strong><br />
<strong>Conservancy</strong> remains a volunteer-centric<br />
organization. We have fantastic<br />
volunteers who get our mailings out,<br />
make our public events run smoothly,<br />
and monitor 4400+ acres of conserved<br />
land. And, as you will read at<br />
right, we have a fantastic volunteer<br />
who lightens the load around our office.<br />
We are grateful to all the volunteers,<br />
but right NOW, we could<br />
especially use more folks doing what<br />
Marge Copenhaver does. If you have<br />
an afternoon a week, or one day a<br />
month (or one anything a month!), our<br />
small office staff would love to have<br />
your help with:<br />
General office work. Want to learn<br />
more about land conservation? Make<br />
your own hours helping to:<br />
• Conduct conservation-related<br />
research<br />
• Assemble landowner information<br />
packets<br />
• Assist with filing and data entry<br />
Like looking at gorgeous photos of<br />
<strong>Tinicum</strong>? We always have pictures of<br />
conserved properties that need to be<br />
scanned and catalogued.<br />
And also…Calling All Container<br />
Gardeners! We are the lucky recipients<br />
of some donated planters to be set<br />
outside the TC office. Now we just<br />
need someone to donate plants (shadeloving)<br />
and time to fill them.<br />
Wish List<br />
- Hand tools (screwdrivers,<br />
hammers, etc.)<br />
- Dustbuster or small vacuum<br />
- Cordless drill<br />
- Picture-rail moulding<br />
Special Thanks: Margaret Copenhaver<br />
“I love volunteering for the <strong>Tinicum</strong><br />
<strong>Conservancy</strong>,” says Marge Copenhaver,<br />
volunteer par excellence, who<br />
gives one day a month of her precious<br />
time in the <strong>Conservancy</strong> office. “I admire<br />
what <strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong> is<br />
doing. I’m learning<br />
something about land<br />
protection and how a<br />
land trust works. I really<br />
like the people and<br />
how appreciative they<br />
are. Plus, I get to see<br />
how the organization<br />
interacts with its members<br />
and donors. This<br />
is the kind of work I’m<br />
good at and enjoy<br />
doing. And I feel that I<br />
am doing something for a worthwhile<br />
cause.”<br />
Marge and her husband, Tom, live<br />
in New Hope but have a house on<br />
Bridge Five in <strong>Tinicum</strong>. They have<br />
been members of the <strong>Conservancy</strong><br />
for over ten years, having joined just<br />
after they purchased their home in<br />
<strong>Tinicum</strong>. Like so many people, they<br />
want to see sprawl and uncontrolled<br />
development curtailed in Bucks<br />
County. Since 1994 Marge has worked<br />
independently as a statistician for<br />
Janssen Co., part of Johnson and<br />
Johnson. She is involved in data collection<br />
for clinical trials and studies on<br />
humans, analyzing data for accuracy<br />
and writing clinical reports.<br />
As soon as she started cutting<br />
back on work, Marge decided to volunteer.<br />
Initially, she worked for Habitat<br />
for Humanity, but claims that she<br />
was “inept” at it. Then she read in<br />
<strong>Common</strong> <strong>Ground</strong> that volunteers<br />
were needed to help with TC office<br />
work. Marge figured that, as a “detail<br />
oriented” and “somewhat compulsive”<br />
person, she might be useful.<br />
So began a wonderful relationship,<br />
certainly a real asset for<br />
the <strong>Conservancy</strong> and a<br />
satisfying undertaking<br />
for Marge. She helps<br />
Administrative Assistant<br />
Maria Fell with<br />
data entry and mailings.<br />
For Kelly Germann<br />
she combs the<br />
conservation easement<br />
files, scans pictures,<br />
and keeps a spreadsheet<br />
for monitoring<br />
reports. Both Maria and Kelly made<br />
“training” a breeze; so while Marge reports<br />
that she’s learning a lot at the office,<br />
it was easy to fit right in and<br />
immediately make an impact.<br />
Marge’s one-day-a-month commitment<br />
to the <strong>Conservancy</strong> “is critical<br />
to the fulfillment of our mission,”<br />
says Maria. “Simply put, if it wasn’t<br />
for Marge and our other regular volunteers,<br />
we couldn’t get everything<br />
done. And besides the assistance<br />
Marge provides, she brightens everyone’s<br />
day when she is here.” Marge<br />
loves to walk along the canal towpath<br />
with her dog and loves the Delaware<br />
River. Her enthusiasm for her volunteer<br />
work is contagious. “I hope I can<br />
do more in the future,” she says. Good<br />
news for the <strong>Tinicum</strong> <strong>Conservancy</strong>!<br />
- Karen Budd<br />
Spring 2013 TINICUMCONSERVANCY.ORG 3