Metro Parks Volunteers Receive City of Destiny Awards

Each year the Tacoma City Council recognizes and rewards exceptional individuals and organizations who give freely of their time and talent with a City of Destiny award. 

It’s a rare honor to be among the nine recipients each year. 

This year, the Tacoma Nature Center Park Stewards and STAR Center’s Ron Wozlinski were presented with awards. Metro Parks gives a special salute to these volunteers who make a difference with their dedication to the environment and to our local youth.

Ron Wozlinski has helped foster a vibrant, active, and engaged community by willingly giving his time to teach youth about nutritious cooking. As a classically trained chef he was born with a love for food. His many years of experience brought him around the world and back again learning the food and culture of many far away countries. But his true passion has been teaching others how delicious, fun, and nutritious food really can be. 

Ron teaches cooking classes at STAR Center frequently, but has also shown his love for educating the community’s youth by volunteering at local schools whipping up a culinary lesson in the STAR Center teaching kitchen, and helping to inspire SPARX students from Gray Middle School. During his one-hour classes he teaches them to cook anything from Mexican to Italian cuisine and includes a skills workshop so students can become familiar with the proper techniques necessary to cook. He tirelessly strives to improve the children’s lives and often goes out to shop for class ingredients, spending money from his own pocket.

In addition, Ron makes himself available to Metro Parks during other community events. This year, he spearheaded the task to cook for the Metro Parks annual Chili Chase fun run; an event that promotes health and wellness and encourages participants to either walk or run on a 5k course. He finds happiness in knowing others are taken care of and that shows in the work that he does day in and day out. The 

Tacoma Nature Center Stewards are the volunteers behind much of the beauty visitors see while reflecting with nature, walking the trails, or enjoying the tranquility at Discovery Pond. The Nature Center sees many visitors each year, but very few know how much work and dedication goes into keeping it so beautiful.

They are truly dedicated to improving, conserving, and protecting our local environment. Park stewards use their experience and spend a great deal of time deciding on and acquiring plants they can add to the Snake Lake habitat at the Nature Center. They also decide on which invasive plant species they need to take out. This careful planning comes to fruition during the work parties that take place rain or shine. The stewards act as guides to all of the volunteers who come to help during the scheduled work parties. This has included scout troops, individuals, college students and even parents with young children. In addition to the removal of non-native plant species, volunteer stewards maintain plants, trim vegetation, pick up litter and complete other miscellaneous tasks.

Education is a large component of what The Tacoma Nature Center does and the stewards make certain to maintain that while volunteering. It is not uncommon to see Cyndy Dillon, Bill Brookreson, or other stewards going out of their way to welcome students from local colleges who want to get a jump start on a career working in nature. They often spend time teaching others all they know about native plants in the area, whether its families with children, scout groups, or individuals.

Since implementing the permitted stewardship program in 2011, there has been a distinct change in the way The Tacoma Nature Center looks and feels. Prior to the program, there was significant invasive plant overgrowth. Thanks to the noble efforts of the stewards, the nature center has truly transformed and it’s amazing to see the difference the volunteers have made.

It is clear that they have a true passion for protecting and conserving the environment and we thank our park stewards for the extraordinary difference they make each day at the Tacoma Nature Center.