Environment DEC
From the September 2008 issue
Become a Volunteer for the Environment
With summer activities winding down, please consider donating some of your time and experience to one or more of the following environmental opportunities, many of which are available through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation:
Friends of Five Rivers serve as greeters, conduct classes for visiting students and weed the wildlife garden along with many other volunteer activities at Five Rivers Environmental Education Center.
Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center is a group of interested citizens who meet regularly throughout the year to provide input to Rogers Center staff and support many of the programs at Rogers.
Promote nature appreciation and stewardship by volunteering at one of DEC's environmental education centers.
Friends of Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve promote a knowledge of nature and awareness, appreciation and stewardship, support Reinstein's programs and coordinate fund-raising activities.
Various friends groups at Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center sponsor the Community Garden Plot Program; provide stipends for interns and volunteer instructors; offer scholarships to educational nature camps; sponsor fund-raising activities and finance efforts to renovate the circa 1700 tenant farm house.
Volunteers in the Adopt-A-Natural Resource Stewardship Program may help to remediate vandalism, pick up litter and trash, establish or maintain access or nature trails, provide interpretive services for school groups and other citizens and manage fish and wildlife habitats.
Reef Anglers maintain diaries that help keep track of fish catches from year to year and monitor the effectiveness of reefs in providing fishing opportunities for New Yorkers.
Belleayre Mountain Ski Center's Mountain Ambassadors meet and greet guests and answer questions about Belleayre Mountain Ski Center. Those who volunteer 100 hours or more of their time receive a free season pass. Ski Patrol volunteers must be able to ski all terrains; be certified in CPR/AED; pass a U.S. Ski Association Basic and Standard Ski Performance Test; take two practical/refresher courses prior to beginning, and be available at least 22 days during the ski season.
The American Littoral Society is an organization whose volunteer membership conducts an annual coastal cleanup and is concerned with issues that affect the littoral zone--that area of a beach between low and high tide. See the related story in this issue of Environment DEC.
Citizen Science: Wildlife Observation Data Collection comprises volunteers who watch for ruffed grouse, bobcats and other wildlife and record their observations.
New York ReLeaf volunteers teach the techniques of site and tree selection, along with planting and maintenance techniques to help trees grow up to be big and strong.
Sportsman Education Instructor volunteers include men, women and couples who teach courses in hunter, bowhunter and trapper education and waterfowl identification.
Wildfire Fighting volunteers qualify for out-of-state fire-crew duty by being in excellent physical condition, having previous experience in combating wildfires and being formally trained in wildfire fighting methods and techniques. See the related story in this issue of Environment DEC.
Wildlife Rehabilitator volunteers care for injured, orphaned or abandoned wildlife, preparing them for a return to and survival in the wild. Rehabilitator applicants must pass a written exam, which is offered in the spring at most regional DEC offices and every fall at the annual conference of the New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (NYSWRC).
Related Links:
Friends of Five Rivers (leaving DEC's site)
Belleayre's Mountain Ambassadors (leaving DEC's site)
American Littoral Society (leaving DEC's site)
