You might call Leslie Kraus a super volunteer. She has logged more than 600 hours for the Central Park Conservancy, after losing her job in the fashion industry during the pandemic.

"It's three hours of great exercise, sunshine, air," said Kraus, who lives on the Upper East Side. "What can be better?"

Kraus is one of around 400 volunteers for the Conservancy, which has been taking care of the 843-acre backyard for New Yorkers for more than 40 years.

All of those acres mean there's a lot of raking and planting to do — and volunteers play an important role in keeping the natural showcase looking great for locals and tourists alike.

"I mean, there's countless work. If we are still raking leaves in March, we are not at that point yet where we are doing a lot of the spring work that we should be doing," said Michael Delillo, a volunteer coordinator at the Conservancy.

The spring work includes reseeding awns, so they can be open to the public, and weeding out plant beds. The Conservancy can definitely use the help, especially heading into a busy spring. For the volunteers, the experience brings with it something different for each individual.

"I find it's a great way to give back to the community," said Kevin Rootnauth, a 19-year-old volunteer from Richmond Hill, Queens.

"It's good exercise, it keep your mind working, you feel good after you do this," added volunteer Steve Clark, who lives on the Upper East Side.  

Something Kraus agrees with: there is a feeling of achievement knowing she helped make the park look that much better for everyone to enjoy.

"I'll pick the area where I know when I'm done, it will look amazing, and it's that transformative and sort of doing your part, and then really seeing the difference, it just all gives me pleasure," Kraus said.

To find out more about volunteer opportunities with the Central Park Conservancy, head to its website.