The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

We are so grateful to our volunteers who contribute their energy, time and talents to The Nature Conservancy. This past year, volunteers donated nearly 8,000 hours to the Washington chapter—a sizable sum. That’s equal to a value of $170,880 in labor or four fulltime employees. 

Here are just a few highlights from our volunteer accomplishments of 2011: 

• Nearly 6,000 hours of on-the-ground restoration work, including planting more than 2,000 trees and more than 4,000 native plants
• More than 1,000 hours of stewardship in monitoring our preserves
• 450 hours of office assistance
• More than 250 hours assisting our scientists, including work on a carbon offset research project, forestry research in eastern Washington, a survey of insects at Swauk Creek, climate change research, coastal resilience studies, and a lichen survey at Ellsworth Creek preserve. 

I also want to acknowledge Barry and Darlene Bidwell, whom we are honoring as our 2011 Volunteers of the Year. Together, Barry and Darlene have contributed more than 4,000 hours since 2007 and exemplify the volunteer spirit.

As always, getting to know our neighbors in the communities where we work is a wonderful benefit of our volunteer program. We invite everyone including families, teens, and our corporate partners to get involved in 2012. Check out the slide show above to see how fun it is to make a difference. And then roll up your sleeves. We hope you’ll join us!  

Happy New Year! 

Barbara French
Community Engagement Manager
The Nature Conservancy in Washington