Volunteer of the Month: May Linda Ferich

Meet Linda Ferich, our Volunteer of the Month and a dedicated member of the PA Master Naturalist program!

After retiring early from a career in emergency nursing, Linda was looking for a meaningful way to channel her passion for conservation. Her introduction to the program came through a neighbor, Mike Burcin, former CEO of Lancaster Conservancy, who shared that the conservancy was a partner organization for PA Master Naturalist training back in 2014.

Inspired by her love of native plants and a desire to deepen her knowledge, Linda applied to the program seeing it as an opportunity to build on her experience and make an even greater impact.

Since then, becoming a PA Master Naturalist has been the start of a fulfilling second chapter rooted in volunteer conservation work. To date, Linda has contributed an incredible 4,774.2 volunteer hours the most of any volunteer in our program!

We recently caught up with Linda to learn more about her journey and what being a PA Master Naturalist means to her.

How did you first get involved with the PA Master Naturalist program?
Mike Burcin, a previous CEO of Lancaster Conservancy, who is my neighbor, told me that the conservancy was a partner organization for the PMN training in 2014.

What inspired you to apply or get started?
I love to study native plant species and see their importance in our landscape. I felt being a PMN might provide an additional credential and experience to my knowledge base.

What does being a PA Master Naturalist mean to you?
After retiring early from a career in emergency nursing, becoming a PMN was the beginning of volunteer conservation work that I am passionate about.

Do you have a favorite memory or experience from your time in the program?
I met wonderful friends who I occasionally still see at events or conservation-related meetings.

What types of volunteer work or projects have you enjoyed the most?
I enjoyed stream testing in a partnership between the Lancaster Conservation District and Lancaster Conservancy for about eight years. In 2017, I started a program in partnership between the National Wildlife Federation and Lancaster Conservancy: the Lancaster Conservancy Community Wildlife Habitat program.

With support from Lancaster Conservancy, the program has expanded to include a Habitat Advocates certification, habitat assessments for all types of property owners, and trainings for landscape crews. All of these initiatives focus on teaching the importance of best management practices (BMPs) in ecological gardening and landscaping.

What would you say to someone considering becoming a PA Master Naturalist?
Is there something you want to do in the conservation arena? Perhaps your volunteer work can lead to a second career like mine did. Figure out what you are passionate about and then ask yourself if the PMN certification would benefit you in that journey.

Thank you, Linda, for your incredible dedication and for all you do to support conservation and community across Pennsylvania!