Kentucky man volunteers every week at Versailles State Park

"It's a 6,000-acre playground that I get to play in"

(VERSAILLES, Ind.) – Brian Borgmann first visited Versailles State Park in 2022 during Hassmer Fest, which is an annual mountain biking festival in the fall. 

“I liked the park and the area, and they needed volunteers so I figured I would help,” he recalled.  

That was the start of Borgmann’s weekly routine where he leaves his Oldham County, Kentucky home every Thursday to drive more than an hour to Versailles State Park. 

After he pulls his Airstream into the campground, he gets busy taking care of odd jobs around the park. 

Some of his typical jobs include mowing the grass, maintaining the trails, trimming trees, helping at the camp store and monitoring invasive plants. 

He refers to it as a 6,000 acre playground that he gets to play in every week, and he isn’t seeking any attention for it. 

Here is an important note before we reveal the amount of time he has invested: He only keeps track of hours because the Indiana Department of Natural Resources asks volunteers to do so. 

Borgmann averages close to 40 hours of volunteering every week and has logged an incredible 1,229 hours since 2023! 

Borgmann added that he doesn’t want to take anyone’s job but rather volunteers in areas that serve as a benefit to the park, its employees and the visitors. 

“There’s only so many hours in the day for the park employees and they're not able to get to everything. I look at this as a way to ease their burden and help them accomplish things they would like to do, but don’t have the time to do,” Borgmann said. 

Some of his chores this past weekend included tree trimming by the nature center, clearing out a butterfly garden, removing debris, mowing around the beach area, repairing a campsite and hosting a Mountain Biking 101 course. 

Borgmann also leads volunteer groups every Friday and encourages more community members to get involved. 

“When it comes to volunteering, each person comes from a different background or demographic and each person has their own gifts. But when you work together all of those gifts surface and you find the passion in others,” Borgmann said. 

He didn't grow up around state parks but has certainly found a passion for preserving and improving the experience in Versailles. 

Borgmann will continue being a familiar face at the state park as he's committed to a few different 3-year projects. 

Want to volunteer at Versailles State Park? Click this link to learn more and get involved.

He added that his goal is to connect each volunteer with something they're passionate about.