The motivation behind Environmental Caretakers is to foster community involvement through education and service while improving the health of our natural ecosystems. As environmental stewards, volunteers will learn the benefits of native versus non-native, invasive flora species, understand the proper techniques concerning the removal of invasive plants, and gain an appreciation of Ohio’s native species, both plant and animal. As an added bonus, the efforts made by the Caretakers program improves the health and diversity of our natural environments at our educational sites for educators to show and teach to for our visiting students and adult guests.