Mike Krasel

Anyone who has ever considered becoming a volunteer but can never

seem to muster up the energy should talk to Mike Krasel.

“This place cracks me up. I love it,” said the 31-year-old

volunteer for the Environmental Nature Center.

Krasel fell in love with his volunteer job shortly after he began

about a year ago, right about the time he discovered the thrill of

working the wood chipper.

One of his main duties is to chip wood to line the walkways of the

center’s environmental trails.

“It eats ‘em up and spits ‘em out and pulverizes them,” Krasel

said.

He also acts as the center’s recycling advisor, overseeing

recycling of different materials at the center.

A graduate of Corona del Mar High School in 1994, Krasel was in

the special education program and ran track and cross country for the

school, winning a trophy for one of its cross-country meets. He also

volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club.

His natural exuberance helped earn him the title of Volunteer of

the Year at the center.

“Mike is a real asset here and he’s a model for all the students

and adults who come through here to give back to their community,”

said Bo Glover, director of the center.

Krasel usually volunteers about three days a week at the center,

usually for a couple hours per shift. In the center’s 2002-03 program

year, Mike, who is mentally disabled, dedicated about 350 hours to

the center.

“He loves it,” said Krasel’s mom, Joie, who lives in Costa Mesa

with her son. “He really enjoys what he’s doing.”

-- Story by June Casagrande