Members Are the Backbone of Our Organization

By Anne Ducey-Ortiz, Membership Chair 
 
Members are the backbone of the Friends of Dragon Run and are the best volunteers and long-time supporters.  One of the reasons FODR started our paddle trips was (and still is) to get people excited about protecting this beautiful natural and cultural resource so that they join us in our mission to Save the Dragon.  We welcome our new members from our recent paddle trips including our newest Life Members--Jenny McGehee and Thyra Harris--who paddled the Dragon with us this past spring and joined us for life.  As of May 31, 2022, we have 324 current members - including 103 Life Members.   

By Anne Ducey-Ortiz, Membership Chair
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Members are the backbone of the Friends of Dragon Run and are the best volunteers and long-time supporters. One of the reasons FODR started our paddle trips was (and still is) to get people excited about protecting this beautiful natural and cultural resource so that they join us in our mission to Save the Dragon. We welcome our new members from our recent paddle trips including our newest Life Members--Jenny McGehee and Thyra Harris--who paddled the Dragon with us this past spring and joined us for life. As of May 31, 2022, we have 324 current members - including 103 Life Members.

We have been working on improving and simplifying our membership experience and processes. Our current membership levels are Annual ($25), Family ($50), and Life ($1000). Members now have an option to have automatic renewals when they join online. We will continue to expand our membership with more activities and opportunities for engagement.
 
One of the benefits to membership is receiving our newsletter, “The Dragon’s Tale,” which is published five times a year and provides articles about the ecology of the Dragon Run watershed, announcements of activities, and updates on FODR projects and accomplishments.

In addition to the newsletter, members also receive email updates about upcoming opportunities to volunteer or participate in FODR activities.  For example, we held several popular hikes on FODR properties this winter and spring so that members could experience this beautiful watershed beyond the river’s edge. We also have trash pickups four times a year to pick up trash on the highways where three of the bridges cross the Dragon, and we hold periodic workdays during which we check property lines, clear trails, and perform other maintenance duties on FODR properties.
 
These opportunities offer members a chance to get outdoors and make a difference in something we all care about. The FODR Board also works hard to bring engaging speakers to our three general membership meetings and our annual meeting.  These meetings provide an opportunity to get acquainted with other FODR members and to hear speakers present topics related to Dragon Run, conservation, nature, and environmental issues.  We are currently holding our meetings via Zoom but hope to return to in-person meetings soon. We are also exploring ways to expand opportunities for members to learn more about the ecosystem we work so hard to protect.
 
Annual membership dues provide a steady income that covers operating expenses such as taxes and insurance.  The paddle trips provide additional income to help us further perform our mission of preserving the Dragon Run watershed. All our Board, committee, paddle, and logistics crew members are volunteers and all the funds we receive go right back to our mission of being good stewards of our properties, educating others about Dragon Run, and continuing preservation of this pristine resource right in our back yard.
 
If you have ideas or suggestions for future membership activities or ways to improve our membership experience, please contact [email protected].