It's National Volunteer Week! Spring is a great time to work outside and to help others in need.

There are many places to volunteer in Washtenaw County, including ongoing volunteering opportunities throughout the area, as well as many this week.

Of particular interest to Your World: you can help get involved in local efforts to count breeding birds; help at the Metroparks; at one of our lovely land conservancies; or remove some garlic mustard at any or many local nature areas!

Here in Ann Arbor the annual Garlic Mustard Weedout Day (May 1, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at many city parks), will be followed by a potluck BBQ. Details can be found at www.a2gov.org/NAPvolunteering.

Not only does volunteering help others, there are many personal reasons to volunteer, including physical and mental health improvements.

Jason Frenzel is the Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator for Natural Area Preservation, with the City of Ann Arbor. He can be reached at jfrenzel@a2gov.org. Visit www.a2gov.org/NAP for more information about city natural areas and volunteering in city parks.

Your World provides local environmental information to our community. Contributing partners include: Washtenaw County’s Environmental Health Division; the nonprofit Recycle Ann Arbor; the City of Ann Arbor’s Public Services Area, Natural Area Preservation, Systems Planning programs for Energy, Environmental Coordination, Solid Waste, Transportation, and Water Resources.