City of Columbia

September 2010 Volunteer of the Month Brenda Peculis

 When Brenda Peculis was new to Columbia, volunteering was a way to meet new people and integrate herself into the community.  And when she wanted to learn more about rain gardens and frog ponds, she took city-sponsored classes and took her volunteer work in a new direction.  Brenda says that volunteering has given her a chance to give back to the community, and learn a lot along the way.

Brenda began by volunteering for the First Night New Year’s Eve celebration for several years, until family events took her out of town for the holiday.  She then took part in the first Columbia Aquatic Restoration Project (CARP) class, sponsored by the City Parks and Recreation Department, which teaches lake and pond ecology.  Since 2007, Brenda has donated time with CARP for shoreline maintenance, and created rain gardens and addressed run-off issues. 

Building on that experience, Brenda began volunteering with the Parks and Recreation Department’s TreeKeeper’s program, for which she assists in planting new trees and tree maintenance in various City parks.  As a TreeKeeper, Brenda was selected to be part of the City’s Street Tree Assessment Team (STAT).  The STAT members, who are supervised by the Public Works Department, monitor the new trees planted in their neighborhoods.

Brenda guesses that her volunteer work totals about eight to twelve hours a month.  Her total record of services is almost 140 hours of donated time.  But she says that it is time well spent:  “I’m so grateful to the people who have helped organize the volunteers, especially those who are no longer with the City.  They have made such good use of our time, and really provided the information we needed in such a helpful and cohesive manner.” 

Brenda is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Written by volunteer Sarah G. Madden