April 15, 2026

Fernbank Appreciates Their Volunteers!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month.

Each and every day, Fernbank’s volunteers help us work towards our mission of igniting a passion for science, nature and human culture through exploration and discovery. April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and we want to show our appreciation for our most amazing volunteer team!

In 2025, 112 teens and 231 adults contributed nearly 18,000 hours of their time to support Fernbank. They greeted guests, prepared crafts, led discovery stations, built exhibits, and helped restore our 65-acre old-growth forest. 

This year, we want to highlight some of the special people who volunteer their time and talents to make it all possible!

Volunteer of the Year: Russ T.

Russ is a retired lawyer and is married with two children. He started volunteering at Fernbank back in 2013 after regularly bringing his daughter to the museum. Russ loves sharing Fernbank with our visitors and enjoys seeing the big smiles on children's faces when they walk in and see the dinosaurs in the Great Hall. He also appreciates the time he gets to spend with fellow volunteers. This year has been a major milestone for Russ as he has volunteered over 1,000 hours at Fernbank!

FYI Volunteer of the Year: Thea M. 

Thea has been coming to Fernbank since she was just 4 years old. She has memories of learning from our volunteers and was excited to get to do the same for others. Since Thea joined the volunteer team in 2022, she has volunteered at a wide variety of carts and enjoys the diversity of topics she gets to share. Her favorite part about volunteering is interacting with Fernbank's patrons, especially listening to their questions and seeing their curiosity. Thea loves that she is always learning alongside them. Thea has completed over 370 hours of volunteering at Fernbank!

Looking for a way to get involved in the community? Join the Fernbank Volunteer Team!

Questions regarding volunteer opportunities should be directed to the Volunteer Department at Volunteer@FernbankMuseum.org or 404.929.6360.