State Parks awards Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia State Parks volunteer
Published 1:30 am Friday, July 10, 2026
The Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia State Parks (FOSLS) has received the 2025 Group Volunteer Honorable Mention Award from Washington State Parks, recognizing the organization’s dedicated volunteer service at Schafer State Park and Lake Sylvia State Park.
Each year, Washington State Parks’ park staff nominates volunteers for their contributions to maintaining parks and educating visitors. Statewide, more than 8,000 volunteers logged over 190,000 hours of service in 2025.
FOSLS members contributed more than 1,200 volunteer hours this past year on projects, events, and organizational administration — helping the group build strong credibility with State Parks, the state Legislature and the local community.
2025 was a standout year for the group. FOSLS helped host 14 events through the second year of its Interpretive Program, drawing nearly 1,000 participants, in addition to its regular slate of FOSLS events. Its weekly horticulture program also logged more than 855 hours combating invasive species throughout the parks.
FOSLS is proud of its dedicated volunteers, whose commitment helps the organization fulfill its mission: to maintain, preserve, promote, and improve our state parks, and to build lasting stewardship for future generations.
For more information on volunteering with FOSLS, visit www.fosls.org. Membership is free.
Upcoming FOSLS Events
Woodland Park Zoo Evening Presentation PNW Bats
July 11
Schafer State Park, 1365 W Schafer Park Road, Elma
Join Woodland Park Zoo and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to collect bat data at Schafer State Park. Bats are a common wildlife species across Washington state, but their nocturnal habits mean that people often don’t notice them. Taking time to learn how to observe them can change that. Why are bats important? Where do they live? How do I observe bats flying in the evening sky? Learn the answers to these questions and how to collect data on bat activity to help them answer the question: When and where are bats active across the Pacific Northwest? This is a fun event for adults and supervised children.
Meet at Shelter 1. Please bring your own chairs, if you would like to sit during the event. Discover Pass Fee for attendees will be covered by FOSLS during the event.
Animal Tracking
July 17
Schafer State Park, 1365 W Schafer Park Road, Elma
Presented by Firecraft, NW
Music for Lunch
Every Wednesday in July and August
Noon to 1 p.m.
Free weekly summer concerts featuring local musicians at Lake Sylvia State Park Legacy Pavilion. Discover Pass covered by FOSLS.
