City of Columbia

Volunteer of the Month for January 2014 – Chris Ingersoll

When Chris Ingersoll, a Fish Biologist for US Geological Survey, began biking year round to work for fitness benefits, he had no idea that over the next 23 years he would ride over 65K miles. Currently his commute is 20 miles round trip, with about 16 of those miles on trails and back roads.

When Chris heard from a friend about Park Patrol, it made sense for him to volunteer as he’s on the trial 4-5 times a week. Since 2006, Chris has logged over 800 hours of service as a Park Patrol Volunteer. Chris says he tries to make eye contact and say hello to those on the trail because “he wants to make the trail a friendly place.”

Park Patrollers create a presence on the trail and contact City staff about maintenance issues so trails remain safe, clean, and in good repair. Leigh Britt, Neighborhood Services Manager, says of Chris, “We appreciate his consistency in serving as an extra set of eyes on the trail and staying in regular communication with City staff.”

Chris appreciates that Columbia is so bike friendly. Over the years he has seen the City open new trails and add more bike lanes. “It’s heartening,” he says, “to see the range of people on the trails.”  He volunteers because he feels “it makes a difference in the safety of the trails.”