Earth Day 2013 019

Riveredge Nature Center is here
thanks to volunteers!

They are involved in all aspects of the activities  and are critical to the achievement of our mission. We understand that no two volunteers are alike. Some can help a little, some a lot. Some have weekends available, some weekdays. Some want to do the “grunt” work on the land and others are more comfortable planning and organizing. With that in mind, we’d like to learn more about you and your interests.

Here's how:

Volunteer Application

LAST YEAR...

1,563

VOLUNTEERS

CONTRIBUTED

17,062

TOTAL HOURS

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

  • Volunteer Naturalist- provide environmental education programs to school-aged children.
  • Volunteer Naturalist Assistant - Assist the Volunteer Naturalist with various needs during programs.
  • Scout Naturalist - Help lead scout programs (weekends/evenings).
  • Summer Camp Counselor - Assist the Summer Camp education staff (mid June - mid August).
  • Winter Camp Counselor - Assist the Winter Camp education staff (the week after Christmas).
  • River Connection Leader/Assistant - Work with Urban Ecology Center staff to explore the Milwaukee River with school groups.
  • Homeschool Assistant - Help with our homeschool programs (September - May).

RESEARCH & STEWARDSHIP

  • Habitat Healer - assist in caring for the land: plantings, invasive species control, brush clearing, etc. (Tuesdays 9am-noon).
  • Organic Garden Assistant -  Assist educators with planting and harvesting organic vegetables (April - October).
  • Riveredge Farm Assistant - Help with various projects and needs on Riveredge's permaculture farm (April - October).
  • Sanctuary Special Projects -  Help with land-based projects on an on-call basis.
  • Maple Sugarin' Sap Hauler - We need strong individuals with fairly open schedules to haul the sap bags and empty them into tanks. (on call in March)
  • Sturgeon Rearing - Assist in raising Lake Sturgeon fingerlings at our Streamside Rearing Facility (approx April - September).
  • Water Quality Monitor - Take measurements and samples from various locations within the watershed (Spring).
  • Species Counts - Help with bird, frog, and/or butterfly counts (other species occasionally).
  • NEW! Native Orchid Cultivation Volunteer - Training provided. Approximately a 2 hour commitment per week. See this article for more information on the orchid project.

OFFICE & EVENTS

  • Visitor Center Receptionist - Greet and assist visitors, answer and direct phone calls, other duties as needed.
  • Special Events Worker - Help at various special events such as Maple Sugarin' events, Spring Egg Hunt, Earth Day, Frothy Forage, etc (you will be contacted for scheduling).
  • River Valley Bike Ride - Help with various duties at the annual bike ride (4th Sunday in June).
  • Sturgeon Fest - Help with various duties at our annual Sturgeon Fest at Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee (Saturday in early fall).
  • Farm Dinner - Help with various duties at our annual Farm-to-Table Dinner (early fall).

OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

  • Business owners and supervisors, give your employees a chance to get outdoors and help Riveredge Nature Center in the process.  We can provide a rewarding team building day for them as they complete various projects. Opportunities include:  Trail work, splitting wood, working in the organic garden, painting, building boardwalks and much more!  Come out for a few hours or all day.We provide snacks and if you stay all day lunch is on us! Limit of 14 people at a time to ensure a quality experience. See our corporate opportunities page for more great options for your company to connect with Riveredge!
  • Projects are also available for groups and Eagle Scouts.  We’ll help design a volunteer opportunity that you’ll love and will help out Riveredge at the same time!  Contact Pat Fox, at 262-375-2715.