Volunteer Opportunities

Congratulations Leonard N. Fox, 2023 Volunteer of the Year!

Leonard began volunteering with Richland SWCD in 2016. He serves the district as a precipitation monitor and reports daily rain and snow amounts in real-time on the Richland SWCD website. He said, “Being a farmer, you are always interested in the weather. Rainfall is important for so many reasons including crop growth.” Leonard enjoys volunteering with the district because he

said the precipitation monitor program is easy to use and he is pleased the data helps the county and can be used nationally.

Leonard also volunteers with the Richland Area Chamber of Commerce and participates in the Knights of Columbus. Leonard enjoys beekeeping, hunting, fishing, spending time with family at their farm and at the lake in the summer months. He planted butterfly-friendly plants and milkweed plots to help Monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Each fall he collects the milkweed pods and donates them to Richland SWCD for distribution. He is semi-retired from Schumacher Farms, Inc. where he is part owner. He and his wife, Kathy, have two daughters, Theresa and Michele, sons-in-law Jeremy and Michael, and four grandsons Xavier, Calvin, Sam, and Jack.

Richland SWCD plants a tree in honor of the volunteer of the year because Leonard and other volunteers are committed to soil and water health and a tree provides long-lasting benefits.

In addition to providing shade and adding beauty to an area, trees reduce the amount of stormwater runoff which helps reduce erosion and pollution in our waterways. Native trees are adapted to our climate, require less watering, and their strong roots help hold soil in place.

Each volunteer of the year picks a public location for the tree planting and Leonard chose Seltzer Park in Shelby, near the gazebo and playscape, because his grandchildren enjoy playing on the playscape.

A Black Gum tree was planted in Leonard’s honor in August. Black Gum trees are native to the Eastern United States including Ohio, other than in the drier counties in the northwestern part of the state. A Black Gum tree also goes by the name Tupelo. Each fall the tree will be bathed in beautiful scarlet and orange hues. Although hardly noticed by humans, the flowers and fruit are a good source of nectar for bees and food for birds. As it grows, it will contribute to the beauty of the park to be enjoyed by Leonard and Kathy, their family, our community, and future generations. 

The Shelby Park staff, Mayor Schag, and others assisted in the tree planting. Jerry Marshall, Shelby Park Supervisor (and Richland SWCD volunteer), and his staff will care for the Black Gum tree in coming years.

Leonard received the Richland SWCD Forestry Award in 2014. Between 2012 and 2014 he developed a forestry management plan to help meet his goals for his woodland. He improved forty acres of woodlands with grapevine removal and culling of mediocre trees. By following his Forest Stand Improvement Plan, Leonard allowed the profitable trees room to grow which improved the woodlands value. 

Watch this video of Leonard’s contributions and the tree planting. Thank you, Leonard, for all you do for the district and community!

The 52-member volunteer team has contributed more than 1,800 hours since September 1,2023, which has saved the General Fund approximately $52,200. Volunteers contribute high quality data that is used to track soil and water health in Richland County’s eight watersheds.