We have limited opportunities for volunteers, and most of them occur spring through summer. The best way to keep up to day on volunteer opportunities is to join our mailing list to receive our monthly eNews. If any of the volunteer opportunities listed below fit with your interests and availability, please contact our volunteer coordinator, at volunteers@biodiversityworksmv.org , and let us know your skill set and availability. Thank you for your interest in supporting our mission!
Commitment will be a minimum of four hours. However, if you are deeply interested in this work but can only manage shorter time commitments, let the volunteer coordinator know since we may have some flexibility. Contact: volunteers@biodiversityworksmv.org
Spotted Turtle Trapping
An ongoing BiodiversityWorks project is assessing and documenting the spotted turtle population on the island. These turtles are rare here, and elusive. In 2020, though, we found two spotted turtle “hot spots” on the island, and we hope to discover more this season. We will be trapping at hot spots from April into June. We seek volunteers to help us set traps, record data, and assist in processing any turtles captured. If interested, you may also help with tracking our radio-tagged turtles. Requirements: Must be willing to walk through brush where poison ivy and ticks are present, and through wetlands that have unstable, mucky bottoms. Ideally, you will have your own waders, but we do have a couple of pairs to loan out. You will get wet and possibly smell like sardines – but seeing a spotted turtle is quite magical! Schedule: Dates will be set in advance. On trapping days, it will take 4-6 hours to set and check traps. Let our volunteer coordinator know if you are interested, and she will send you the planned schedule.
Northern Long-eared Bat Monitoring
We will be out this spring and summer monitoring our northern long-eared bat population as they emerge from hibernation and settle into their maternity colonies. Volunteers join us in the field at night to help set up nets and record data. Unfortunately, volunteers cannot handle any bats because a rabies vaccination is required for that. There may be other bat-related opportunities such as checking bat detectors or doing emergent counts. Requirements: These opportunities are not physically demanding but do require a fondness for working outdoors at night. Schedule: Mostly nights, about four hours starting at dusk. April-August; time commitment is flexible. Contact: volunteers@biodiversityworksmv.org
Facilities: Grounds work at BWorks Headquarters
Help us keep our “forever home” looking spiffy! We may hold occasional work days to remove invasive species, pull saplings in our miniature sandplain grassland, restore habitat following a recent trenching project, and do some light pruning. Let our volunteer coordinator know if you are interested in this type of work and we will schedule some opportunities (2-4 hours) this spring or summer. Contact: volunteers@biodiversityworksmv.org
Other Potential Opportunities
Depending on how our season shapes up, we may be able to offer volunteer opportunities including tiger beetle surveys, volunteer photography, plant and insect surveys and monitoring, and other needs that may come up along the way. Join our volunteer list to stay in the loop for these and other opportunities that arise. And thank you for helping us advance our mission! Contact: volunteers@biodiversityworksmv.org
