The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Interested in an internship?

The NC Chapter offers internships throughout the year but mostly in summer. For more information, visit our Internships page.

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Outer Banks/Nags Head Woods

Tuesday May 15, 2012 and Saturday May 26, 2012 from 8 am to 12 pm.

The Nags Head Woods Preserve is looking for volunteers to help with our South End Shoreline Restoration Project. Volunteers are needed to bag oyster shells, build oyster mats and oyster reef as well as plant marsh and upland plant habitat. All community members and visitors are invited. If you are interested in participating, please email Kate Murray at kmurray@tnc.org or call (252) 441 2525. We ask that all individuals sign up so we have a count of how many will be coming.

Mountains

There are currently no opportunities in the mountains.

Spring and summer are the most popular times for our mountain volunteer work days, which include activities like trail maintenance and invasive species removal. For information on volunteering, contact Becky at Mtns_Volunteers@tnc.org or 828-350-1431 ext. 105.

Southeast Coastal Plain

There are currently no opportunities in the SECP.

Check back for other opportunities to replant Venus flytraps and pitcher plants in the Green Swamp, and for events in the Town of Boiling Spring Lakes and other parts of Brunswick County.

Sandhills

Our annual Sandhills wiregrass seed collection is over for the year.  Check back for dates next fall. The work is easy and fun, and open to all. 

Volunteer Contacts

• TNC Volunteer Coordinator - Neal Cheek, ncheek@tnc.org or (919) 794-4371
• Mountains Volunteers (includes New River and Hickory Nut Gorge) - Becky Pudner, Mtns_volunteers@tnc.org or (828) 350-1431 ext. 105
• Outer Banks/Nags Head Woods - Kate Murray, kmurray@tnc.org or (252) 441-2525
• Roanoke River - Chuck Peoples, cpeoples@tnc.org, or (252) 578-4115
• Sandhills - Jim Fields, jim_fields@tnc.org or (910) 246-0300
• Southeast Coastal Plain/Wilmington - Sara Over Babin, sover@tnc.org or (910) 395-5000
• Prescribed Burns - Maura High, mhigh@tnc.org or (919) 794-4377

General Information

The North Carolina Chapter needs volunteers for specific tasks and projects. Some projects are one-time only and others are ongoing. Volunteer times and hours vary and can include weekdays and weekends. The minimum age for volunteers is 12. Volunteers aged 17 and under must have parental permission and any volunteers younger than 16 years old must be accompanied by a parent.

For office work, a supervisor will orient and train each volunteer. For one-day field work, the supervisor for the activity at the field location will orient and train all volunteers.

Some volunteer opportunities are available in our main office in Durham. These include field work in the Piedmont; general office work; assisting our communications, government relations and philanthropy staff; and helping with event-related mailings. Our fire program is also coordinated out of the Durham office. 

• Please contact Neal Cheek if you are interested at (919) 794-4371 or ncheek@tnc.org.

Many volunteers work through some of our satellite field offices, which are in Halifax, serving the Roanoke River; in Southern Pines, serving the Sandhills region; in Wilmington, serving the Southeast Coastal Plain; in Nags Head Woods, serving the Outer Banks; and in Asheville, serving the Southern Appalachian Mountains/Hickory Nut Gorge/New River region. For more information on volunteering, please get in touch directly with the volunteer contact for the place in which you are interested. (See contact information above.)

Note: Please be sure to dress properly for work days including layers, long pants and sturdy shoes.  Be prepared for changing weather including light rain. Also bring gloves, a backpack, water and snacks or lunch. More information will be provided for volunteers closer to the time of the event. Thank you for thinking of donating your time to us! 

Prescribed Fire Burn Crew

TNC has training for our burn crews once a year in the fall.  Space is limited for these trainings.  Volunteers for prescribed burns must be at least 18 years old and able to pass a fitness test, in addition to undertaking classroom and hands-on training in use of the equipment, proper procedures and techniques.  The actual amount of participation thereafter varies.

• For more information, contact Maura High at (919) 794-4377 or mhigh@tnc.org.