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Welcome to Nearby Nature and thanks for your interest our volunteer
staff programs. Volunteering with us is a great way to invest
in your community and meet fascinating people as well as learn
about local natural areas. Nearby Nature offers a wide variety
of educational and restoration programs that rely on volunteers
like you. Below is a list of our current programs. Call us at
687-9699 for more specific information about the opportunities
that interest you! Calendar
Alton Baker Park School Nature Walks Program
(Training Provided)
Share nature with children! On weekday mornings in the spring
and fall, volunteer guides lead nature discovery activities, tell
stories,
and play games while taking small groups of K-6th graders on walks
through the “wild side” of Alton Baker Park. No experience
is necessary; training covers everything from natural history to
storytelling to teaching techniques. Guides commit to leading one
walk per week (two-three hours) for one season at a time. Training
happens in March-April and September. Calendar
Kinder Critters (Training Provided)
Education with a dramatic touch! These enthusiastic volunteer
naturalists visit pre-school through 2nd grade classrooms and birthday
parties
dressed as wild creatures from nearby meadows, ponds, and forests.
Each costumed Critter does a short educational presentation, tells
stories, and leads a game or craft. If you have a dramatic flare
or a desire to know what it is like to be a frog, turtle, bat,
or butterfly (or a variety of other critters!), then this is the
opportunity for you. Non-costumed volunteers are also needed to
assist with Kinder Critter programs.
Special Events (No Training Required)
Share Nearby Nature with the community! Celebrate night
creatures at our Haunted Hike in October, join us for the Egg Walk
in April,
assist at our Eugene Celebration booth in the fall, or help us
create fun in the sun at a community summer festival. Nearby Nature
hosts as well as participates in special events throughout the
year where volunteers of all ages help with crafts, information
sharing, and activities. Calendar
Weekend Nature Quests (Training Provided)
Family fun in the park for all ages. Volunteers orchestrate crafts,
dress up as Kinder Critters, serve snacks, and help with trail
activities at these fun once-a-month family adventures in Alton
Baker Park. Calendar
Classroom, No School Day, and After School Programs
(Training
Provided)
Share the wonders of nature with children at their schools.
Help staff bring natural fun to school through nature games, science
exploration, craft activities, and storytelling for small groups
of elementary-high school students. Volunteers commit to helping
for a one-two hours once or twice a week for varying periods of
time. Call for locations and current volunteer staffing needs.
Alton Baker Park Action Project (No Training Required)
Get hands-on, feet-wet involved in caring for local natural
areas. Nearby Nature hosts “restoration celebrations” in
Alton Baker Park. Participants in these outdoor gatherings work
on invasive
plant removal and native plant restoration, erosion control, trail
maintenance, and litter patrol. Folks of all ages, as well as groups,
are invited to participate. Call to set up a work party for a group. Calendar
Learning and Litter Patrol. Twice a month Nearby Nature
volunteers walk through the park to share information about local
natural history as well as remove litter. Walks start at the Host
Residence in Alton Baker Park. Patrols are needed at other times
as well. Calendar
Summer Daycamps (Training Provided)
Work with kids in local parks. Every summer, Nearby Nature
runs a series of week-long outdoor daycamps in local parks. At
each
camp, an adult volunteer and a youth outdoor leader (12-18 years
old) help our paid instructors with games, outdoor science, crafts,
music, and more. Volunteers commit to helping with at least one
week-long camp per summer, for three-four hours per day. Call for
information about current volunteer staffing needs.
Office Assistance (Training Provided as Needed)
See a non-profit from the inside. Running all of these great
programs requires lots of work behind the scenes. Volunteers are
always
needed to assist with the important work of putting together mailings,
answering phones, posting flyers, mending equipment, fundraising,
videotaping events, and other office projects. Interested folks
should call for more information.
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