Volunteer

Volunteer at Rancocas Nature Center!
Our volunteers are important to us!

Become a regular volunteer at Rancocas Nature Center - Do you have free time and interested in helping at the center?
Volunteering is flexible - You can volunteer once a week, once a month, several times a year--it is up to you!
Volunteer for community service hours; i.e. confirmation, Honors Society, 4-H, Scouting

NOTE: Volunteers must be at least 13 years old. If a volunteer is under 16 years old, they need to be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Rancocas Nature Center staff will be on-site at all times when volunteers are at the center.

The following are some of our volunteer opportunities.

Front Desk

Volunteers will greet visitors, ring up purchases, answer visitor questions and answer the phone. All front desk volunteers must be responsible and self-directed, comfortable working with electronic payment systems and computers. Volunteers must also be able to lift 40 lbs (when bird seed is purchased). New volunteers will be taught all front desk procedures and staff on site when volunteering. The Nature Center welcome center is open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday noon until 4:00. 

Animal Care

Volunteers will prepare food for and feed the turtles and frogs that reside inside our visitor's center. Volunteers will also help maintain healthy environments for all of our animals by changing water, changing bedding, cleaning tanks and filters, etc. All animal care volunteers must be responsible and self-directed and comfortable handling animals. New volunteers will meet the animals and be shown feeding and animal care procedures.

Gardening

Primarily during the spring and summer months, volunteers may coordinate with and assist Rancocas Nature Center educators and staff in caring for our various gardens. Volunteers must be responsible, self-directed, be comfortable with independent work and getting dirty.

Master Gardeners
Mondays Spring through Fall
10:00 - noon
No meeting on holidays or rainy days

This is an opportunity for folks who love to garden or are new to gardening to work with some of our local Master Gardeners. Participants will help keep our native plant gardens looking amazing and full of flowers and plants to attract and host wildlife. Whether your goal is to learn more about gardening and native plants, help identifying weeds, meet some plant loving friends (gardeners are cool people! but we are biased!) or just to get outside and get a little exercise, we would love to have you join us! Come when you are available. You do not need to come every week. We have tools and gloves but bring your own gloves if you like. We hope to see you this gardening season!  No experience necessary! Volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. No registration. Show up when you can! Email education@rancocasnaturecenter.org if you have any questions.

Trail Upkeep and Conservation Projects

Volunteers may coordinate with and assist Rancocas Nature Center educators and staff in keeping our hiking trails clear of branches, brush, leaves, overgrowth, etc. Volunteers may also assist in occasional removal of invasive plants along and near the trails. Volunteers must be responsible and self-directed and must be comfortable getting dirty. 

Current Planned Opportunities:

-Teen and Scout Conservation Volunteer Days (ages 13-17)
-Spring Clean-Up
-Conservation Club - coming soon - will meet twice a month

Public Program Help

Volunteers may coordinate with and assist Nature Center educators and staff during our larger on-site public programs such as Maple Sugaring, Star Watch and Santa Quest programs. Various jobs will be required to be filled in order for these programs to continue to be successful including pre-event prop preparation, set-up, clean-up, parking, ticket-taking, trail guide, etc.

Educational Assistant

Volunteers may coordinate with and assist Nature Center educators with on and off-site educational programming. Volunteers may be asked to assist in set-up, handling animals, presentation of material, assist in cleanup, etc. 

To become a volunteer:

Please email volunteer@rancocasnaturecenter.org with
an introduction sharing what you would like to help with, relevant experience and your availability.
Our volunteer coordinator or another staff member will contact you!