Jay Six spent 30 years in law enforcement. The last 20, he has shown up with birdhouses

Jay Six's volunteer work at River Legacy can look like a birdhouse, a bug hotel, or a door sealed to keep summer heat outside. The former Arlington police officer has spent two decades doing the small jobs that keep a nature center useful to children and families. 1

That is what I like about this story. It does not depend on a dramatic rescue or a giant donation. It follows a man who found a place he believed in, learned what needed doing, and kept returning.

Six grew up in West Texas and stayed in the Arlington area after attending the University of Texas at Arlington. He worked for the UTA police, then spent 25 years with the Arlington Police Department before serving as chief deputy of patrol for the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. He retired from police work in 2016. 1

The change started earlier. In 2002, Six enrolled in Leadership Arlington, a local nonprofit program for community leaders. He said the class taught him something he had not understood during three decades of public work: nonprofits needed volunteers, too. 1

In 2006, a River Legacy Foundation volunteer coordinator asked him to shuttle volunteers to and from the nature center's Fall Fest. Six has helped with the event almost every year since. He also stays for setup and teardown when he can, which is the sort of work people notice only when nobody does it. 1

Six began making wooden birdhouses after retirement. River Legacy supplies the wood; he supplies the time and craftsmanship. The nature center sells the birdhouses to support its work, turning his hobby into a modest stream of help for the organization. 1

His latest project is even more closely tied to the center's teaching work. The education director asked him to make 14 "bug hotels" for an August children's nature class. The open wooden boxes are filled with bamboo and other natural materials to attract insects. Six added the River Legacy logo so children and parents would know where the project came from. 1

Six also makes leather field-notebook covers, key fobs and tags for people who work at the center. He has no interest in turning the craft into a formal business. Sales taxes and record-keeping, he told the Fort Worth Report, would be too much trouble. It is easier to make something useful and hand it over. 1

River Legacy's mission is to preserve and enhance land along the Trinity River and its tributaries as a recreational, educational and natural resource. The organization says its nature center is part of a 1,300-acre nature park and runs programs for people of all ages. 2

That context makes Six's odd assortment of tasks easier to understand. The birdhouses help raise money. The bug hotels help a class get close to the subject. The event setup, cleanup and maintenance make it possible for other people to arrive and learn. None of those jobs is the whole mission. Together, they are how a public-facing nonprofit keeps its doors open and its programs tangible.

Shannon Porter, executive director of the River Legacy Foundation, called Six "a rare gem" for the way he supports families as they connect with nature. Six was less grand about it. "I'm helping do something that's bigger than me, helping a good cause," he said. 1

For readers near Arlington, River Legacy's official site lists visitor information, trails and upcoming public events at the nature center, 703 NW Green Oaks Boulevard. 2 The practical invitation is simple: find the place doing work you want to exist, then ask what needs doing after the interesting part is over.

Six's answer has been consistent for 20 years. Sometimes it is a birdhouse. Sometimes it is a door. Often, it is just showing up again.