Help Protect What You Love

Volunteers—and the thousands of hours they give every year—make ACR’s programs possible.
Sign up for a day, or enter ACR’s popular docent program and become a volunteer naturalist.
 Join us today and start connecting with the beauty of our preserves, make new friends and know you are helping protect the wildlands of Marin and Sonoma counties.

ACR has trained thousands of docents over the years, who have in turn shared their time and love of nature with generations of schoolchildren. Thousands of other volunteers have oriented visitors, cleared trails, removed invasive plants, become field observers, worked in ACR’s library and completed construction projects. ACR would be nowhere without its volunteers!

We have lots of opportunities. Read through the list below, or just scroll down to these programs, which are recruiting new volunteers now:

• Bouverie Preserve Docents
• Martin Griffin Preserve Stewards
• Bouverie Preserve Stewards


VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

EDUCATION PROGRAM


Docent/Bouverie Preserve
Docents of ACR's Bouverie Preserve interpret nature to the thousands of schoolchildren who visit the preserve every year. Our goal is to instill a conservation ethic and love of nature in those who experience our programs. We have developed an award-winning nature education program for third and fourth grade students. Docent training topics include birds, wildflowers, mammals, amphibians, Coast Miwok Culture, spore and seed producing plants, regional plant communities and environmental education techniques. Classes meet once a week for 23 weeks. Fee is $120 (may vary slightly) to cover material costs. Partial scholarships are available. The next training will begin in September 2013, and we are collecting applications now. Apply today! For more information, call 707-938-4554 or email bouverie@egret.org.

Docent/Martin Griffin Preserve
Discover the natural history and environment of coastal Marin. Through 23 classes you’ll learn about everything from banana slugs to Great Blue Herons to the ecology of redwoods—all taught by experts and run by experienced docents who make the classes fascinating and fun. After training is completed, docents visit local 4th and 5th grade classes and inspire life-long nature appreciation by leading students on nature walks at the Martin Griffin Preserve. The next training will begin in September 2014.  Fee is $120 (may vary slightly) to cover material costs. Partial scholarships available. For more information, call Raquel Ximenes at 415-868-9244 or email raquel@egret.org.

Ranch Guide/Martin Griffin Preserve
Become a Ranch Guide of ACR's Martin Griffin Preserve and share your knowledge and appreciation of nature with our Bay Area community during the awe-inspiring heron and egret nesting season. Ranch Guides provide information to visitors about the preserve and its many unique natural features during public season, from mid-March through mid-July. Volunteer commitment: four weekend days for two years. For more information, contact Julie Keating at 415-868-9244 or email julie.keating@egret.org.

Ranch Host
Ranch hosts greet and orient visitors as they arrive at Martin Griffin Preserve. There is no training or experience necessary. Ranch Hosts volunteer during the weekend or on holidays during the spring and early summer. For more information, call Raquel Ximenes at 415-868-9244 or email raquel@egret.org

CONSERVATION SCIENCE

North Bay Heron & Egret Project

Join our volunteer field observers and track heron and egret nesting sites throughout counties in the North Bay. Your work will be vital for protecting nesting Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Black-crowned Night Herons and other species, and essential for developing information for scientists, researchers, planners, birding enthusiasts and local residents. To become a trained field observer, call 415-663-8203 or email cgrc@egret.org. 

Shorebird & Waterbird Monitoring on Tomales Bay

Each year ACR’s scientist-led census of shorebirds and waterbirds on Tomales Bay is possible thanks to volunteer help. Join the team, and you’ll help collect data on these bird populations from boats and from the shores of beautiful Tomales Bay. Volunteers should have excellent birding skills and be able to identify birds in flight and from a distance. Call 415-663-8203 or email cgrc@egret.org for more information.


HABITAT PROTECTION AND RESTORATION

Bouverie Preserve Stewards
Bouverie Stewards work intimately with the land throughout the year at the Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen. This dedicated crew assists with all sorts of habitat protection and restoration work, while learning about the ecology behind the project. Examples include: removing Douglas Fir seedlings; installing fencing in the pasture before grazing cattle arrive; removing invasive species; and using GPS units to map invasive species. The team meets most weeks on Monday from 8:30 am to noon. For more information, contact Jennifer Potts at 707-935-8417 or jpotts@egret.org.

The Weed Team
Bouverie Preserve
Bouverie Preserve is home to spectacular displays of wild flowers, trees, shrubs, and rare plant species. Help protect these habitats by becoming part of the Bouverie Preserve Weed Team. The Weed Team removes invasive plant species such as Calendula arvensis, Mentha pulegium, and Ceutaurea solstitialis, which are encroaching on these habitats. Each workday, volunteers will have a chance to learn a new plant, acquire a new skill and gain knowledge about vernal pool and oak woodland ecosystems.
The Weed Team meets irregulary on Fridays from 9:00 am to noon. Check the calendar for dates. Space is limited, R.S.V.P. is required. For more information, contact Jennifer Potts at 707-935-8417 or jpotts@egret.org.

Martin Griffin Preserve Stewards
The Martin Griffin Preserve Stewards volunteer program works to restore and maintain the unique and diverse plant communities through native plant propagation, invasive plant management, and outplanting of native plants. The team meets weekly on Thursdays from 9 am to noon in Volunteer Canyon. For further information, please contact Gwen Heistand at gwen@egret.org.

Weed Watcher 
Martin Griffin Preserve
Invasive weeds are known to heavily colonize habitats with an adverse affect on their adapted environment. By discovering weeds before they become well-established, you can help protect Audubon Canyon Ranch’s unique natural resources, while deepening your understanding of the natural world. The Weed Watchers volunteer program works within ACR’s Early Detection and Rapid Response Invasive Plant Management Program. Weed Watchers hike the Martin Griffin Preserve and map new sitings of invasive plant species. Prior experience is not necessary. Join Weed Watchers on the second Saturday of each month. For more information or to rsvp, contact Gwen Heistand at gwen@egret.org