Volunteerism

The best things in life are free and volunteering is no exception. The act of volunteering for our projects helps you and the environment. Its easy to take time out of your day or on a weekend to lend a few hours of help to improve the quality of the natural world that sustains us all. By volunteering, one begins to realize just how much difference a single person can make. Multiply that effort by many volunteers and suddenly some of the large and looming environmental problems are no longer insurmountable. Our public lands need lots of volunteers to help take care of the areas that human visitors often neglect. A few volunteers can make a huge difference by restoring the great outdoors better for both human visitors and the wild plants and animals that call it home.

Here are just a few ways that you can volunteer to help with environmental conservation and stewardship:

1) Take a tote bag, or other small bag, along on your next walk to your favorite beach, river, mountain, park, or wilderness area and pick up the litter you find along the way. Plant native trees in your yard, neighborhood, school, park, or other natural area. These actions can help fulfil the requirements of our Apprentice Ecologist Initiative™.

2) Look for volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood where you can help a local nonprofit or government agency with an environmental rehabilitation project (examples: trail, stream, or habitat restoration, litter/graffiti removal etc.)

3) Look online for ways that you can get involved locally, nationally, or internationally in the environmental conservation issues and challenges that face the world.

Here are some inspirational quotes about volunteerism and community involvement:

"One is not born into the world to do everything but to do something..."

- Henry David Thoreau -

"Never before has man had such a great capacity to control his own environment, to end hunger, poverty and disease, to banish illiteracy and human misery. We have the power to make the best generation of mankind in the history of the world."

"Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country."

- John F. Kennedy -

"Everyone can be great because anyone can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't even have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love..."

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -