Ms. Nadja Ryan is the May 2020 Volunteer of the Month. Nadja’s involvement with the Hayward Shoreline Interpretive Center started when she was a child participating in the Summer Bay Camp programs. Soon, Nadja became a Junior Naturalist, assisting during summer camps and volunteering with her mother at the annual 10K on the Bay Race/Walk event. In October 2019, Nadja’s high school biology class was assigned a large-scale service-learning project. She chose to assist the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District with the removal of non-native, invasive apple snails at the San Lorenzo Community Center pond. As Team Leader for her cohort of classmates, Nadja coordinated the participation of several other volunteers from her high school as well as organized with District naturalists and parks staff to schedule several “Apple Snail Removal Days”. Apple Snail Removal Days consisted of getting into waders and pulling snails out of the pond. During these days, she spoke with curious park visitors, sharing her work and answering their questions knowledgeably and professionally. Nadja has been a familiar and friendly face for the volunteers at the Shoreline’s events. She has increased participation through her own efforts, publicizing and recruiting. Nadja has a profound love of life, is a natural leader and her enthusiasm carries through in her interactions with the public and with staff. It is with absolute certainty that the Hayward Shoreline has been made better with Miss Ryan’s involvement. Her efforts further the goals of District by educating her peers and the public about the importance of the Bay ecosystem. | 