Volunteer Spotlight: Nettie Morano

For our first Volunteer Spotlight, we’re talking to Nettie Morano.

Nettie has volunteered with the Friends of Clermont since 2022 and has worked tirelessly in our gardens ever since! A resident of Kingston, Nettie enjoys volunteering at Clermont and other historic home preservation groups and senior wellness advocacy groups. When she’s not volunteering, you can find her keeping active at the YMCA and spending quality time with friends and family.

Can you share a specific moment or experience that stood out to you during your time in the gardens? How has your work impacted Clermont State Historic Site?

Last summer, I, along with a “ragtag team” of volunteers, tracked down the location of five forgotten magnolia trees that had been covered for decades in vines and other debris. We spent several weeks carefully hacking away at the invasive plants and vines, and by the end of summer, the magnolia trees were finally freed. We discovered that the trees were planted sometime during the 1920s. Now that they are free from the vines, they have the chance to bloom again. There is something special about unearthing something that was once forgotten and giving it a new chance at life.

What skills or lessons have you gained from volunteering?

While working in the Harvesting History Garden, I learned about a wide variety of crops and their culinary uses. We also learned the different methods of caring for edible vs. non-edible flowers. In the formal gardens, a great deal of our time is spent trying to “tame” nature in a natural and humane way. There are ways to preserve your cultivation without disrupting the natural order too much (such as implementing old-fashioned, natural insecticide methods). There is also a large focus at Clermont on native vs. non-native plants in the gardens.

What new volunteer roles or projects are you excited about?

I’m currently working on a very special project. Together with Clermont’s horticulturist, I am going through a large pile of historical documents related to Clermont’s historic gardens. These documents contain receipts, journal entries, and letters and shed light on over 200 years of planting at Clermont. I am organizing these findings into one single document that details every botanical purposely planted since the 1820s. It is my hope that this information will be used by future generations and researchers.

What are your hopes for the future of the gardens and grounds?

As a volunteer, I want to tackle as much as we possibly can. I tend to work better when I have a specific goal in mind, and it feels good to accomplish it once the work is done. My favorite projects are finishing long-abandoned projects. For example, uncovering previously forgotten landscapes, such as ponds, benches, gardens, etc. I hope to see more of this happen at Clermont in the coming years.

What do you think people should know about volunteering at Clermont?

Just do it; sign up and give it a try. Come once, and we’ll welcome you with open arms. Whatever you are interested in, there is a volunteer position for you. There are so many benefits to volunteering, especially in the gardens. You get to be outside, be physically active, enjoy a beautiful setting, and do something good for the community by preserving this special piece of local and regional history. And above all, you are doing something special for yourself because you deserve to feel good about what you do.

Interested in volunteering at Clermont?  Here’s what you need to know.