Volunteer Spotlight: Hollis Erb

Cosumnes CSD is proud to announce that Hollis Erb has been awarded the prestigious City of Elk Grove "Stars of Service" Award for 2024. Erb, a long-dedicated member of the Elk Grove community, has devoted many volunteer hours and resources to projects, programs, and events organized by the Cosumnes Parks & Recreation Department.

Her commitment was born of a love for Lawrence Park in particular. "I live three house doors away from the closest entrance, so I consider this to be my neighborhood park," she says proudly.

"I got started doing things in the park because I set up a committee to liaison between our HOA and the park, and through that, met the director of Parks and Neighborhood Services." From there, she became a Partner for Parks, the volunteer steward for Lawrence Park's rose garden, and finally was invited to apply for the Parks Advisory Committee.

Now the Chairperson of the Parks Advisory Committee - a position she has held for four years running - Erb plays a pivotal role in representing various districts within Elk Grove. Her leadership enhances parks and recreation services, programs, and facilities.

Over the past year, Erb initiated a pollinator program to create sanctuaries for native birds, bees, and insects. Thanks to her efforts, Cosumnes CSD established its first pollinator garden at her beloved Lawrence Park, a haven for native organisms to grow and thrive. It consists entirely of native California drought-tolerant plants. To Erb, the garden symbolizes hope: she's "thinking of the future, of trying to stop the decline of pollinator species." The District plans to replicate the garden in other parks based on the model she helped create.

But Erb didn't stop at environmental initiatives. She donated a 'little library' to Lawrence Park. She championed a successful tax measure to bolster park safety through an enhanced Park Ranger program. She has even written articles for the "Partners for Parks" newsletter. Her dedication to the community is evident in the time she spent volunteering at various district events, including the Giant Pumpkin Festival, the Magnet Fishing Derby, and park outreach and grand openings: over 250 hours in 2023 alone.

She calls on all of us to join the cause and make Elk Grove an even better place to live. "If you have the time and the energy and the will, please, please, do go ahead and volunteer. . .It's a lot of fun."

Through unwavering commitment, service, and a genuine love of nature, Hollis Erb enriches our city and sets a higher standard for community involvement and stewardship. She fully deserves recognition as a "Star of Service" for reminding us, in the impacts she has made all over the city, that "Parks Make Life Better!"