Nationwide Lodging Opportunities for Volunteers

This is a list of projects that offer free lodging for Nature Conservancy volunteers.

Arizona

Muleshoe Ranch Preserve
R. R. 1 Box 1542
Willcox, AZ 85643
Phone: (520) 586-7072
Susan Crash

The Muleshoe Ranch is located in a beautiful, remote portion of Arizona’s high desert, 30 miles down a dirt road form the nearest town. The ranch needs volunteers to perform:

Housekeeping/Caretaking
Landscape and building maintenance
General Office work
Interior decorating of guest units
Trail brushing
Greeting visitors and guiding nature hikes
Occasional monitoring of native flora and fauna

In addition to tent space, Muleshoe Ranch offers dorm rooms with bathrooms and kitchens. They welcome volunteers year-round.

Ramsey Canyon Preserve
Lisa Naas, Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: (520) 378-4952

The Nature Conservancy's Upper San Pedro River Ecosystem Program based at Ramsey Canyon Preserve has an active volunteer program. The volunteer program includes a general orientation to The Nature Conservancy, natural history training, on the job training for a variety of positions ranging from working with the public to working on outdoor restoration and maintenance projects.

Training usually takes place during the spring and fall seasons. Training materials are offered. You will also have the opportunity to experience social events, field trips and expand your horizons with an on-going education.

Think about spending a week, a month, or several months living and working at Ramsey Canyon Preserve? The Preserve has volunteer work opportunities with on-site accommodations available for individuals or couples on a year round basis. Call the Volunteer Coordinator for further details.

Colorado

The San Miguel Preserves
Southwest Colorado Program
P.O. Box 3140
120 S. Pine Street, Suite 201
Telluride, CO 81435
Phone: (970) 728-5291
Mallory Dimmitt, San Miguel Project Director

The San Miguel River Preserves
The Tabeguache Preserve

Almost all Colorado wildlife—more than 80 percent—depends on rivers and riverside habitat. The San Miguel, one of the few remaining naturally functioning rivers of the West, supports some of the best riverside—or riparian—habitat in the Upper Colorado Basin. Natural flood cycles and a history of very little development have kept many parts of the San Miguel in pristine condition, much as it would have appeared before Colorado was settled. Eleven years ago The Nature Conservancy established its first preserve on the San Miguel. Now with two more preserves and cooperative projects with the Bureau of Land Management and other partners, we have helped protect more than thirty miles of the San Miguel.

Located in Montrose County, just upstream from the San Miguel River's confluence with Tabeguache Creek, the 610 acre Tabeguache Preserve offers a willing volunteer senic and pristine opportunities. Spring and fall are the best times to visit. The summer months can be very hot—and often buggy. There is a visitor area with a kiosk, an outhouse, picnic tables and a short walking trail. Consider bringing a raft, canoe or kayak to see the preserve from a different vantage point. Volunteer opportunities are plentiful but demand a determined individual who enjoys the rugged outdoors. No facility is available for housing but camp sites and RV sites are accessible. While there volunteers can monitor the visitor site, do weed eradication, fence maintenance and removal, nature interpretation, field restoration, and other possible needed services. For more information and directions, please call Mallory Dimmitt.

Florida

Northwest Florida Program
Leigh Brooks
Volunteer Coordinator/Community Relations Manager
The Nature Conservancy
Northwest Florida Program
P. O. Box 393
Bristol, FL 32321-0393
Phone: (850) 643-2756
Fax: (850) 643-5246
E-mail: leigh_brooks@tnc.org

Discover the original Garden of Eden, at least according to local legend! The Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve is located on the Florida Panhandle, fifty miles west of Tallahassee. Bring your bug spray and:

Restore the sandhills by planting wiregrass and longleaf pines or collecting native groundcover seed
Take on administrative and organizational tasks
Assist with outreach programs
Maintain interpretive trails
Monitor rare plants and animals
Help with ongoing research or create new projects based on your own skills and interests

They have a fully-furnished trailer available year-round, and can accommodate volunteers for more than a month.

Lake Wales Ridge Program
225 East Stuart Avenue
Lake Wales, FL 33853
Phone: (941) 678-1551
Carol Taylor

Have you always imagined yourself in the scrub of Central Florida, working to preserve a rare and ancient ecosystem? Then Lake Wales Ridge might just be the place for you! They have opportunities for:

Manual labor, possibly to include clearing hiking trails and fire lanes, and controlling exotic invasive plants
Data entry and reception duties
Helping out at special events and assisting with community outreach
Assist with monitoring rare species and communities

There is a house that can accommodate up to 5 people available for volunteer use during the summer, fall and winter.

The Disney Wilderness Preserve
2700 Scrub Jay Trail
Kissimmee FL. 34759
Phone: (407) 935-0002
Disney Wilderness Preserve

Volunteer Opportunities include:

Stewardship: fence removal, wetland planting, seed collection, upland restoration planting, invasive plant removal
Administration: clerical support, *receptionist, *computer support
Science: *Database management, *wildlife monitoring
Maintenance: Grounds maintenance, construction
Education: Visitor Guide (gift shop)

*Some assignments may require training and would be more suitable for a long-term commitment. We do have a workcamper program and have 2 RV spaces which we provide to volunteers in exchange for 32hrs of volunteer time per week. Anyone interested in would need to apply and be interviewed. If someone were interested in a long-term arrangement to include housing, they would need to contact us.

Dorm housing is subject to availability. Fee is $15 per night.

Idaho

Ball Creek Ranch Preserve
Northwest Idaho

The Nature Conservancy of Idaho
424 Sherman Avenue
Suite 204
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814
Phone: (208) 676-8176
E-mail: sgrourke@tnc.org
Steve Grourke, Program Assistant

Come and join us at the magnificent Ball Creek Ranch Preserve, near Bonners Ferry, Idaho. The ranch is located in the Kootenai River Valley, the largest wetlands complex and one of richest wildlife habitat areas in Idaho. The preserve attracts migrating waterfowl and neotropical birds annually and serves as an important migratory corridor for woodland caribou, grizzly bear, elk and moose migrating between the surrounding mountains. In the summer we will have an intern managing both bird and bat surveys. The preserve is open to the public for wildlife viewing, hunting, fishing, hiking, paddling, and any other non-motorized uses including horseback riding and biking.

The volunteer opportunity at the preserve would be for the summer season, approximately from June 1 - September 1. These dates are negotiable. Our ideal volunteers would be a married couple with a RV. There is a ranch house where the volunteers could stay when guests are not there, but alternative housing is a must when guests arrive. Unfortunately there are no RV hook-ups on the preserve. There is however, a RV park in Bonners Ferry.

Bonners Ferry is a small town with all the necessary conveniences. It is located approximately 15 minutes south of the preserve. Bonners Ferry is about a 1 3/4 hours drive from Coeur d'Alene, ID and about 2 hours from Spokane, WA. The Canadian border is only about 1/2 hour from the preserve.

The volunteers would be responsible for, but not limited to the following tasks: site interpretation, trail building and maintenance, cutting firewood, and general site monitoring, etc. For more information, volunteers can contact Steve Grourke, Program Assistant, using the below information.

Flat Ranch
Allen May, Eastern Idaho Program Director
Phone: (208) 522-4350

The Upper Henry’s Fork Basin contains a natural system of grasslands, forests, springs, wetlands, and miles of meandering streams. These lands are home to large mammals such as antelope, elk, mule deer and moose. The area’s waters support large numbers of aquatic insects, which sustain a world-class wild trout fishery as well as an imperiled native cutthroat trout fishery. Migratory birds such as trumpeter swans, sand hill cranes, and long-billed curlews also depend on this lush and fertile basin.

Flat Ranch is a working ranch in the Upper Henry’s Fork Basin. While at Flat Ranch a volunteer (preferable team) would help out at the visitor center as well as perform light maintenance chores and some restoration work on the ranch. Housing is not yet available but a RV site can be provided along with a small stipend for food. Contact the program director for more information.

Silver Creek Preserve
P.O. Box 624
Picabo, ID 83348
Mark Davidson, Assistant Manager
Phone: (208) 788-7910

Flowing at the base of the Picabo hills, Silver Creek attracts eagles, hawks, songbirds, waterfowl, coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, deer and elk. Silver Creek’s globally unique aquatic ecosystem features one of the highest densities of stream insects in North America, and supports a world-class fishery.

In the 25 years that the Conservancy has owned Silver Creek, we have worked successfully with many landowners to establish a conservation corridor along Silver Creek and its tributaries.

As a volunteer at Silver Creek, opportunities will include hosting at the visitor center, leading nature walks, restoration work, trail maintenance, and old fence removal. Accommodations are limited to a possible house but a RV would be preferred. A small food stipend is also available. Contact the assistant manager for more information.

Thousand Springs Preserve
1205 Thousand Springs Grade
Wendell, ID 83355
Wendy Hosman, Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: (208) 726-3007 ext. 21

Bordering the scenic Snake River in southern Idaho, Thousand Springs Preserve forms a meandering ribbon of quiet bottomlands edged by towering basalt cliffs and cascades of sparkling spring water. It also claims a plethora of volunteer opportunities. At the preserve you can: Join the purple loosestrife search and destroy team; assist with wetland management; improve wildlife habitat; complete a variety of landscape projects; participate in maintenance of historical structures; assist with the annual Thousand Springs Festival of the Arts in September; become the Preserve Host (keep the preserve open and handle all public visitors 4 days/week, Memorial Day through Labor Day) and live on-site! Come to the Hagerman Valley, where we have a house that may be available to volunteers for up to 8 months during the spring, summer, and fall.

Illinois

Spunky Bottoms Preserve
The Nature Conservancy's Spunky Bottoms Preserve located in Brown County along the Illinois River is a 2,000+ acre innovative approach to large flood plain river protection and restoration. Under restoration since 1999 the wetland site is responding dramatically to efforts to bring back historic diversity. Over ten threatened or endangered plant and animal species have been documented at the site as well as ten county record amphibians and reptiles. Year-round and seasonal opportunities exist for volunteer stewardship activities such as prescribed fire, biological data collection, invasives management, and preserve infrastructure maintenance. A modern cabin is available for weekend or week-long stays in connection with volunteer activities. Contact Tharran Hobson, Land Steward for details.

Tharran Hobson, Great Rivers Area Land Steward
The Nature Conservancy
220 W. Main St.
Havana, IL 62644
Phone: (309) 543-6502
Fax: (309) 543-6503
Cell: (217) 248-0463
E-mail: thobson@tnc.org

Cedar Glen/Kibbe Preserve
The Nature Conservancy's Cedar Glen Preserve is over 1,300 acres of a 2000 acre jointly managed complex along the Mississippi River across from Keokuk, Iowa. Consisting of upland Oak/Hickory woodlands, tall grass prairie, savannah, river floodplains, and islands the preserve is home to one of the largest concentrations of wintering bald eagles in North America. Year-round and seasonal volunteer opportunities exist and lodging is available at the Kibbe research station on site. For more information contact Tharran Hobson, Land Steward.

Nachusa Grasslands Preserve
Nachusa Grasslands, a lovely 1500-acre preserve of The Nature Conservancy has an active volunteer stewardship program year round. We have a simple room in a farm house for volunteers who might want to work a few days or longer helping us out. No children under 16.

Bill Kleiman
Preserve Manager
Nachusa Grasslands, The Nature Conservancy
8772 S. Lowden
Franklin Grove, IL 61031
Phone: (815) 456-2340
Fax: (815) 456-2342
E-mail: bkleiman@tnc.org

Montana

Matador Ranch Preserve
Linda Poole, Project Manager
HC 63, Box 5032
Dodson, MT 59524
Phone: (406) 658-2192
E-mail: lpoole@tnc.org

Come work and stay at the beautiful Matador Ranch located in northeastern Montana. The Matador is the Conservancy's flagship project in the Glaciated Plains, a 2.5 million acre landscape that is the heart of the largest native mixed-grass prairie in the northern Great Plains. The Conservancy purchased the Matador last year with the goal of promoting conservation of native prairie species within the context of a working cattle ranch. The 60,000-acre ranch, which lies halfway between the Missouri and Milk Rivers, provides habitat for mountain plover, burrowing owl and other grassland birds that are the fastest declining bird species on the continent. Black-tailed prairie dogs are abundant, providing the keystone for a suite of rare species including black-footed ferrets and swift fox.

Opportunities to work vary, and may include but are not limited to:

general ranch work such as fencing and irrigating
translocating prairie dogs
weed control
ecological monitoring

We would welcome one volunteer at a time, between the months of May and October. Volunteers must be willing to commit to a minimum of one month. Call the Project Manager for more information.

Pine Butte Preserve
HC58, Box 34C
Choteau, MT 59422
Phone: (406) 466-2158

The beautiful Pine Butte Preserve has limited volunteer opportunities available during the summer. Call them for all the latest information! Visit the Choteau area along the Rocky Mountain Front and surround yourself with the glories of nature while you perform:

Office duties, including answering the phone and filing
Weed surveys
Assistance to the education program
Pine Butte Preserve has a rustic cabin with indoor plumbing, electric heat, and cooking facilities that may be used by volunteers for the summer

Nebraska

Platte River Preserve
The Platte River Preserve has long been recognized as a major migratory bird resource in the state of Nebraska. Birds utilizing the Great Plains Flyway have found the combination of broad river channels, wet meadows and abundant food supply offered by the Platte an attractive combination. From an international point of view, the Platte River is the critical link in a migratory pathway used by millions of birds as they travel back and forth from Siberia, Canada and the United States and Central and South America. More than 300 species of migratory birds visit the Platte Valley on an annual basis, and over 130 species nest in the valley. Some seven to nine million ducks and geese, as well as over 500,000 Sandhill cranes, rely on this area during the spring migration. Literally, the Platte River Valley is the "pinch in the hourglass" for the Great Plains Prairie Flyway. It is recognized as one of the 12 best birding locations in the nation. The 80-miles stretch of Platte River between Overton and Chapman provides critical roosting and feeding areas for Sandhill cranes and other migratory water birds.

Working with Platte River Whooping Crane Trust, the Conservancy has helped to protect approximately, 8,000 acres within the Big Bend Reach. The Big Bend region is also of great historical interest. It is where the pioneer trails meet and head west. There are many historic and cultural opportunities to be experienced. Come and volunteer as a Prairie Planter. Grassland restorations are an ongoing project. Also, the Conservancy has been working with Prairie Plains Resource Institute to restore native prairie along the Platte River. Harvesting and planting more than 120 species of native prairie seeds on annual bases requires much effort. Other volunteer opportunities exist and can be arranged with staff personal.

A house is available (the Derr House) for volunteers which includes full accommodations. If you would like to volunteer please contact the Field Representative at the Platte River Preserve at (402) 694-4191 or e-mail at jheaston@tnc.org

Niobrara Valley Preserve
RR 1 Box 348
Johnstown, NE 69214
Phone: (402) 722-4440
Tracey Vodehnal, Volunteer Coordinator

Volunteer Where The Buffalo Roam:
The Niobrara Valley Preserve in north central Nebraska is looking for an individual or a couple who would like to volunteer for at least a month from May through September. The Preserve encompasses 60,550 acres of riparian woodlands and mixed-grass prairie. This beautiful rugged landscape is where the buffalo roam-there are two herds on the Preserve-and the deer and the antelope play. The volunteer(s) should have an interest in helping with some of the following:

Providing a presence in the Visitor's Center
Giving guided walks and bison tours
Assisting in the cleaning and maintenance of the visitor facilities
Maintaining the native plant trail by watering and weeding
Answering phones, taking messages and assisting with other clerical duties.
Assisting with the cattle, bison or woodland programs

A trailer hookup (electricity, water and sewer) is available. Other accommodations may be possible. The volunteer should be available from Friday through Monday to assist preserve staff. Help is always needed on other days if the volunteer is available.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact preserve staff at (402) 722-4440.

New Mexico

The Nature Conservancy’s Bear Mountain Lodge, near Silver City (Grant County), New Mexico needs an on-site volunteer naturalist for several months between April and November this year.

Located at 6,200 feet near the oldest designated wilderness area in the country (The Gila Wilderness), the Lodge is a birding hotspot. More than 300 species have been recorded here. Lodge manager Maura Gonsior is looking for someone who is an avid birder with the ability to lead naturalist programs for lodge guests. The volunteer would live in the staff house at the lodge (an RV hookup is also available), and there will be no cost for room and board. Other duties include such tasks as:

maintaining bird feeders
engaging guests in fireside chats
giving slide presentations
assisting the lodge naturalist with creating educational displays
trail work
invasive plant control
assisting the groundskeeper with routine maintenance
answering the lodge cell phone during off-duty hours (9 pm to 6 am)

The work will require 10-15 hours per week for four months. The position may be extended depending on performance. For more information contact Deborah Barber at (301) 897-8570.

New York

Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park
Wilton, New York
Sarah Clarkin, Executive Director
Phone: (518) 587-1939 ext. 220

An excellent example of the Conservancy's community-based conservation in action, the Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park was established through a collaborative relationship between the Town of Wilton, The Nature Conservancy, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Located in the area of Saratoga Springs, Lake George, and the Adirondack, the WWPP was created to protect the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly and its habitat, as well as preserve the rural character of the local community. Boasting over 120 species of birds, and over 70 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians. The goal is to protect 3000 acres. To date, 1200 have been protected.

Come join us at the wonderful Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park and help us protect the Karner blue butterfly while doing habitat clearing, planting, and trail maintenance. Contact Sarah Clarkin, Executive Director, for additional information. Accommodations are undeveloped although a state park with campsites is available.

Albany Pine Bush Preserve
Colony Community Center
1653 Central Avenue
Albany, NY 12205
Phone: (518) 464-6496

The remarkable Albany Pine Bush Preserve, located in upstate New York, has opportunities for volunteers to:

Assist with preserve management: boundary posting; trail clearing, brushing, and marking; tree and trash removal; and fire-break preparation.
Conduct research on rare plants and communities, such as the blue lupine and Karner Blue butterfly
Help with prescribed burning
Lend a hand with invasive species management

There is no limit to the amount of time they can accommodate a volunteer at the APBP, although they currently have lodging available

Uplands Farm Nature Sanctuary
Long Island Chapter
Uplands Farm Nature Sanctuary
250 Lawerence Hill Road
Cold Spring Harbor, New York 11724

South Fork/Shelter Island Chapter
PO Box 5125
142 Route 114
East Hampton, NY 11937
Stacey Goldyn, Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: (631) 367-3225 x131

The Nature Conservancy on Long Island embraces the entirety of Suffolk and Nassau Counties and the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The Conservancy on Long Island owns and manages 38 preserves, including 23 visitor preserves throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties which are open to the public for hiking and enjoyment of nature.

The Nature Conservancy's mission on Long Island is to maintain, and in some instances restore the health of the natural communities and species at our 18 landscape scale and portfolio sites. We fulfill this mission by acquiring land for conservation purposes and implementing ecological management activities designed to preserve species and natural communities. sites of significance that we work on include the Pine Barrens, Atlantic Ocean Beaches and Bays, and the Peconic Estuary.Programs are also in effect to restore the viability of some of Long Island's threatened and endangered shoreline species, Least Terns and Piping Plovers; and threatened native plant species.

There are numerous volunteer opportunities at Long Island's Nature Conservancy. Volunteers are needed on both a long-term and a short-term basis. Some exciting opportunities include habitat maintenance, seed collection, invasive plant control, fire break preparation, office help, carpentry work, and community outreach. Volunteer opportunities are constantly updated at our website.

Limited accommodations are available at Uplands Farm Preserve for volunteers, available ONLY on a first come first serve basis, under special arrangement at select preserves. Please contact Stacey Goldyn, Volunteer Coordinator, at (631) 367-3225 x131 or e-mail sgoldyn@tnc.org if you are interested.

Adirondack Nature Conservancy & Adirondack Land Trust
P.O. Box 65
Keene Valley, NY 12943
Doug Munro, Volunteer Coordinator
Phone: (518) 576-2082 ext. 30
E-mail: Dmunro@tnc.org

Come and join the exciting efforts of the Adirondack chapter of the Nature Conservancy in the magnificent Adirondack region. The 6-million-acre Adirondack Park is unique in the United States for both human and geographic reasons. Because of its high elevation, the Adirondack plateau is an island of habitat for arctic tundra, spruce grouse and other northern boreal species rarely found in the continental United States. Larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier and Olympic national parks combined, New York's Adirondack Park is a haven for 130,000 year-round residents and endless natural wonder. Here, on both public and private lands, natural communities and native species have been given the room they need to thrive in as close to their original wild state as can be found anywhere in the Northeast.

Volunteer opportunities include preserve maintenance at one or more of our eight preserves located throughout the Adirondacks; invasive species management at specific sites also located Adirondack Park wide; conservation easement monitoring; and help with our education and outreach program. Other opportunities include but are not limited to the following: (trail maintenance, educational tours, hosting at visitor center, general maintenance, etc.)

Accommodations for volunteers are available in a bunk house and/or a local hostel. Each has a small daily fee. Other lodging available in the area are:
White Sled Motel Bunk House in Lake Placid - (518) 523-9314
The Hostel in Keene Valley - (518) 576-2030
Jackrabbit Inn Hostel in Lake Placid - (518) 523-0123

Please call Doug Munroe, volunteer coordinator for the Adirondack chapter of the TNC, for more information.

North Dakota

Cross Ranch Nature Preserve
1401 River Road
Center, ND 58530-9445
Phone: (701) 794-8741
Fax: (701) 794-3544
Eric Rosenquist, Preserve Manager
Cross Ranch Preserve

Come visit 6,000 acres of rolling prairie & lush floodplain forest near Bismarck, that combines outstanding natural values with historic interest; Wheatgrasses, gramas & needlegrasses blanket surrounding hillsides; tallgrass & trees thrive in moist ravines; forest features: cottonwood, green ash, boxelder, elm & bur oak; understory: grasses, sedges & wild flowers; adjoining upland prairie: more than 100 species of wild flowers; over 100 species of birds; and bison herds. Volunteers can be used to: conduct surveys, general ranch hand work, landscaping and building maintenance.

Accommodations are a primitive bunk house (no electricity or plumbing), a nearby RV site, or camping at nearby Cross Ranch State Park From Hensler, 6 mi. SE; or from Mandan, west on I-94 to Hwy. 25, north 18.5 mi.; turn right (north) on Hensler road 5 mi.; east 4.5 mi; north 1.5 mi. to headquarters. Please contact the preserve manager about making a contribution of time and energy to a most worthwhile cause.

South Dakota

Samuel H. Ordway, Jr. Memorial Preserve
Ordway Preserve #647
35333 - 115th Street
Leola, SD 57456
Phone: (605) 439-3475
Fax: (605) 439-3423
Mary Miller, Preserve Manager
Ordway Prairie

Come visit the 7,800-acre prairie in McPherson County; where big bluestem and cordgrass tower 6-7' high from swales; little bluestem, western wheatgrass, porcupine grass and buffalo grass cover slopes. Hillsides blaze with wild flowers from late spring throughout summer. Over 300 plant species; several thousand pairs of waterfowl may nest near the preserve's 400 wetlands. Many types of shorebirds are also evident, along with the majestic ferruginous hawk, whitetailed deer, red fox, coyote, raccoons and badgers. A self-guided nature trail with tepee rings, grazing bison, homestead ruins is available.

Volunteer opportunities include but are not limited to research, fence construction, invasive species control, and preserve upkeep. Accommodations are shared housing in a bunk house or there is camping nearby. From intersection of Hwys. 10 & 45 in Leola, travel 8 mi. west on Hwy. 10. Trail area is 1 mi. west of blue water tower. Look for kiosk at trail head on south side of road. Please contact the preserve manager for details.

Texas

Davis Mountains Preserve - Chihuahuan Desert
P. O. Box 2078
Fort Davis, TX 79734
Phone: (915) 426-2390/1
Fax: (915) 426-2394
E-mail: Ktalley@tnc.org

Come work and stay in the beautiful Davis Mountains of far West Texas. The Davis Mountains Preserve is in the spectacular Davis Mountains in Jeff Davis County. This mountain range encompasses an area larger than Rhode Island and represents the most southeastern extension of the Rocky Mountains. Elevations above 8,000 feet and cool, moist pine/oak woodlands are in dramatic contrast to the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert grasslands skirting the mountains. The Trans-Pecos region, which is the northern portion of the Chihuahuan desert, is a living museum of rare wonders. More rare species are found among its desert valleys, grassy plateaus, wooded mountains and protected canyons than in any other part of Texas.

While at the Davis Mountain Preserve, volunteers may stay in a rustic bunkhouse and perform the following tasks:

Watershed restoration
Fire fuel monitoring
Fireline and trail construction
Interpretation
Tour leading
Construction
Tractor work
Computer work
Fence removal
Plant taxonomy

Contact Karen Talley the Outreach Coordinator at Davis Mountain when making your plans to volunteer.

Texas City Prairie Preserve
4702 Highway 146 North
Texas City, TX 77590
Phone: (409) 941-9114
E-mail: BMoore@tnc.org

The Texas City Prairie Preserve is situated on Galveston Bay in Texas City, approximately 40 miles south of Houston. Established in March 1995, Texas City Prairie Preserve features rare coastal prairie habitat and is one of the last remaining sites that support wild Attwater's prairie chickens. Restoration of the coastal prairie is a primary stewardship activity on the preserve. Similar to the tallgrass prairies found further north, the grassland depends upon fire and grazing for its continued existence.

Volunteer groups, as well as individual volunteers, are critical in the maintenance and restoration of the prairie. Volunteer opportunities are available and potential volunteers are encouraged to contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Bill Moore, at ( 409/941-9114). Accommodations available include a 26foot RV trailer and "...refurbished bunk room with bath and kitchenette in the shop building."

Big Thicket Region Preserves
(including Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, Wier Woods Preserve, Little Rocky Nature Preserve, Big Thicket Bog & Pinelands Preserve)
The Nature Conservancy of Texas
P.O. Box 909
Silsbee, Texas 77656
Phone: (409) 385-0445
Fax: (409) 385-4745
Contact: Wendy Ledbetter, Big Thicket Land Steward
E-mail: wledbetter@tnc.org

Volunteer with The Nature Conservancy of Texas to improve conservation of the Big Thicket region of Southeast Texas. Known internationally for its biodiversity this interesting area of the state also contains the 97,000 acre Big Thicket National Preserve. In close proximity is the coastal community of High Island, a destination of birders to view neotropical migratory bird migration in the spring.

Volunteer opportunities include but are not limited to art projects, flora and fauna inventories, facility, equipment and trail maintenance and repairs, interpretive programs and projects, non-native plant control, fire break preparations, and more. A detailed list of specific projects is available upon request. Volunteers are welcome at housing facilities located at the Sandyland Preserve. Both houses have airconditioning, bath and kitchen facilities

Coastal Texas Program
P. O. Box 163
Collegeport, TX 77428-0163
Phone: (512) 972-2559
James Shuler

The Coastal Texas Program runs the Mad Island March Preserve, located on West Matagorda Bay, near the sunny Gulf of Mexico. Their visitor’s center provides living space for 76 people in 2 private rooms, 2 in the bunkhouse, and 8 in the multi-purpose room if you’re willing to sleep on bedrolls on the carpeted floor. Also available are 2 RV hookups and tent space, for those with a flair for the great outdoors. While you’re there, do your part to protect biodiversity by helping with:

Manual labor, including: erosion control, building/tearing down fences, clearing fire breaks, exotic plant control, general carpentry projects, monitoring duck boxes, and general cleanup
Developing a docent program to guide visitors around the preserve and help with nature interpretation
Assisting in the office with filing, data entry, cataloging slides and photos, word processing, and answering the phone
Research: helping with on-going research project, vegetation sampling, wetland research, water quality monitoring, and songbird survey.

Monthly work weekends through the fall, winter and spring.
The accommodations are generally available year-round, and volunteers are welcome to stay as long as a month, and possibly longer if everything works out. Please call one (1) month in advance for scheduling information.

Wyoming

Ten Sleep Preserve
1095C Rome Hill Rd.
Ten Sleep, WY 82442
Phone: (307) 366-2671
E-mail: tncten@tctwest.net
Chandra Dow, Programs coordinator

"The magnificent Tensleep Preserve has limited volunteer opportunities available during the summer. Call them for all the latest information! Visit the Western flanks of the Bighorn Mountains and surround yourself with the glories of nature while you perform:

Manual labor such as pulling weeds, building/tearing down fences, and trail building/maintenance
Office duties, including answering the phone and filing
Plant monitoring
Assistance to the visitor programs

Tensleep Preserve has several options for housing including wood floored wall tents, indoor rooms with electric heat, indoor showers and restrooms and cooking facilities that may be used by volunteers for the summer."