On Sept. 17, Bill Moran and Diane Clark of Greystone Nature Preserve invited several Cummins employees onto the land for volunteer work. The employees, all part of the same engineering team at Cummins, completed a variety of tasks around the land to help Greystone Nature Preserve (a 501(c) (3) not for profit). Greystone is located at 8531 Bear Lake Road, Fredonia.

Ron Rickard and Dave Hansen worked diligently around the chicken coop fence, clearing out weeds and vines. Terry Mcentire and Jonathan Martin spent their time pulling up cornstalks and rolling up fence for winter storage. Hayden Roesler and Chris Merchant worked together on clearing sumac brush and debris. The men’s hard work is a major help to Greystone Nature Preserve. Clark says that without the help of volunteers, maintaining Greystone would not be possible. The multitude of tasks — along with certain strenuous tasks — make things difficult for Clark and Moran alone. The volunteers’ generosity and hard work are what keep Greystone Nature Preserve alive.

The volunteers remarked that the experience strengthened their connection to nature. These Cummins’ employees grew up around our area surrounded by forest, so they are familiar with the woodland environment. Each stated their personal experience with nature. Roesler shared that his wife is an aspiring park ranger, and they are always looking for a good hike. Rickard lives in the country and mentioned how he loves being surrounded by forest. The crew’s connection to nature is what makes their work at Greystone so special.

To finish off the afternoon, the Cummins employees participated in an Adopt a Highway clean up. Alongside Clark and Moran, the crew walked and patrolled 2 miles of Bear Lake Road, collecting any trash and litter in the road.

This experience allowed the pair to connect with the Cummins team while cleaning up the planet. Greystone Nature Preserve flourishes because of its dedicated volunteers. Since 2020, Cummins has been sending employees to the preserve. Moran and Clark thank Cummins and look forward to continue working with them in the future.

Nadia Kelsch is a SUNY Fredonia student and Greystone intern.