VOLUNTEER

You make a difference!  Be a beneficial species by giving your time to support the many conservation efforts underway by the Western Slope Conservation Center.


Whether you are interested in our monthly water-quality monitoring program, our Paonia River Park work days, want to review BLM or Forest Service proposals for environmental concerns, or if you think you have a particular skill that might be useful, we want to hear from you. From rock haulers  to grant writers, to event extraordinaires, we are always in need of help from people in the community. Click the links below for volunteer position descriptions and sign ups.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Our committees are essential to the grassroots action of our organization. Committee members attend monthly meetings, organize around local initiatives, plan and volunteer at events, and use their individual skills to share our mission across the western slope. We are always accepting new committee members, so please stop by for our next meeting or contact us for more info.

 

Watershed Committee: Second Thursday Monthly

Public Lands Committee: Fourth Monday Monthly

River Watch Volunteer

Collect Quarterly River Watch water quality samples

We collect long term baseline aquatic ecosystem data on the North Fork and its tributaries. Monitoring with River Watch can tell us how well a river is functioning and if it is healthy or at risk.

Location: We start at the CSU Organic Research Station on Hwy 92, west of Hotchkiss, and carpool to several sites along the North Fork.

Key responsibilities: Volunteers take water samples from the North Fork of the Gunnison and bring them to a lab for on-site water testing.

Qualifications: enthusiasm and ability to follow basic lab directions.

Time commitment: Typically 8 am-3 pm, until your group has completed data collection.

Training/support provided: We pair new volunteers with an experienced volunteer to go to sampling sites. Once in the lab, there are instructions to help with titrations and volunteers will be walking around to help.

Benefits: Become a part of the community of people working to protect our watershed.

Want to get involved? E-mail: [email protected]

2023 River Watch Days: 

Typically the second Tuesday in March, June, August and October.

Stewardship Days

WSCC typically hosts several stewardship days over the summer and fall, ranging from Paonia River Park workdays in town to trail days in collaboration with USFS. These projects can have a wide range of responsibilities, from shearing branches and picking weeds, to hauling rocks and lifting logs. There is something for anyone!

Qualifications: Able-bodied individuals.

Time commitment: Usually 8am-3pm. (10am-12pm for River Park Workdays)

Phone: 970-527-5307

E-mail: [email protected]

It’s always great to have a volunteer help us out at tabling events! These typically begin in late spring and extend through the fall, at community fairs, river festivals, musical events, and the like. Sign up to be a volunteer to receive our monthly email and keep in-the-know about tabling opportunities.

Each year, volunteers help us execute our major events. We need volunteers to set up, clean up, help with sign-ins, support the WSCC table, assist with silent auction, and more!

Email us at [email protected] to find out how help out with our annual events. 

Mike’s Hikes Leaders

Mike’s Hikes Leaders are volunteers who want to guide one of our popular hikes in the summer. These hikes are free and open to the public. We look for a diversity of hike difficulties and locations, and plan several hikes to have a natural history, cultural history, or other educational element.

Qualifications: Interest in the outdoors and familiarity with nearby public lands, and/or knowledge of natural or cultural history of this region.

Time Committment: attend a Mike’s Hikes training early in the spring, and commit to a day hike sometime in the season.

Email: [email protected]