jobs, fellows & interns, volunteers

No matter what your skill, area of interest, or amount of free time, a niche awaits you as a volunteer with NEWFS. There are volunteer opportunities that require a few hours once a year, or a few hours once a week throughout the year. Volunteers have a chance to further the Society’s mission of promoting native plant conservation while participating “behind the scenes” with like-minded Society volunteers and staff.

Garden Guide Volunteers - Spring 2007

Conservation Volunteers - Spring 2007

Administrative and PR Volunteers - 2007

Invasive Plant Field Actions

Invasive Plant Survey Volunteers

PCV - Plant Conservation Volunteers

"Garden in the Woods" Work Party Days

Volunteer Garden Guides

Other Volunteer Opportunities

Garden Guides Wanted - Garden in the Woods at 180 Hemenway Rd. in Framingham Massachusetts, New England's premier wildflower garden and accredited museum seeks volunteer guides to lead informal tours at the Garden for adults and children, weekdays or weekends. Join a fun community -- no experience necessary. The training is free if you can commit to leading one spring tour a week and occasional tours in the summer and fall. We especially invite plant lovers to apply! Training begins in March. RSVP to Bonnie Drexler at bdrexler@newfs.org or 508-877-7630 x 3302. For more information about guides, see below.

Conservation Volunteers Wanted - The Conservation Department of New England Wild Flower Society seeks volunteers to join the Society's award-winning conservation programs including invasive plant mapping, and other critical field projects throughout New England . An important focus is the early detection and response to new invasions. No previous experience is necessary. Comprehensive free training will be provided. Volunteers are especially needed in Connecticut, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. Make a difference! For more information, see below or contact akane@newfs.org or phone 508-877-7630 x 3204

Administrative Market Research Volunteers Wanted - The Communications and Administration Departments of New England Wild Flower Society and its Museum, Garden in the Woods, seek volunteers to help with survey-based research who have database and/or marketing experience, and volunteers for administrative work, no experience required. Some work may be done off site. For more information, contact Bonnie Drexler at bdrexler@newfs.org or phone 508-877-7630 x 3302.

Plant Conservation Volunteers Needed For Important Field Actions

Please come back early in the spring of 2007 for the latest project listings.

Invasive Plant Survey of New England,
A Call for Volunteers

The New England Wild Flower Society, Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, and the University of Connecticut, have recently been awarded a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to track the distribution and spread of over 100 invasive plant species throughout New England. A corps of volunteers will be trained to identify invasive plants and document their current range. Trainings will occur in the spring and summer at a series of workshops held in each New England state. Trainings will take two days and include an indoor classroom informational session using slides, herbarium sheets, and other prepared materials, and an outdoor session consisting of field visits to local sites where infestations of invasive species occur.

Information collected by volunteers will be entered into the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England (IPANE), at the University of Connecticut. The data in IPANE will be posted on the Internet and used for early detection of problem species, research, and decision making on how to control invasive species to slow their spread and reduce their impact on our native flora. More information on this project and the survey can be found on the web site for the Invasive Plant Atlas of New England at www.eeb.uconn.edu/invasives/ipane.

People interested in volunteering for the Invasive Plant Survey should contact Ted Elliman via phone at 508/877-7630, ext. 3203 or email at telliman@newfs.org.

This program of the New England Wild Flower Society, begun in 1998, is an outgrowth of a pilot project started by the New England Plant Conservation Program (NEPCoP) in Massachusetts in 1993. The mission of this program is to involve interested citizens in activities that promote the conservation of New England's native flora and habitats with a species emphasis on rare species protection. Volunteers participating in the program are provided with all the training needed to carry out their volunteer assignments. In 2001, over 300 volunteers in all six New England states participated in the program and submitted records on over 700 occurrences of endangered plant species. In addition Plant Conservation Volunteers (PCV) participate in invasive plant survey and control projects, habitat management to benefit rare species populations, and general botanical inventories. In gratitude for the service of these citizens we provide special training programs, discounts on NEWFS courses, field trip opportunities, and free courses sponsored by the PCV program. An interest in plants and conservation, as well as, some basic plant identification skills along with a willingness for adventure and sense of humor are all that is required. Our training provides all the other skills necessary. Through participation in this program interested volunteers can make significant contributions to plant conservation efforts in New England, while, at the same time learning new plants, meeting people with like interests and just having a good time exploring the diverse landscape of New England.

If you are interested, please fill out an application form. The form also includes more information about the program. Or contact Ailene Kane with any questions at 508/877-7630, ext. 3204. Email: akane@newfs.org. We will review your application and send notification of acceptance into the program. Once accepted you will be trained, and given a choice of field assignments.

Work parties are a great way to get your hands in the soil and learn a little more about caring for native plants. Come be a gardener for the morning, take in the beauty of our gardens, and meet new people too.

**Spring 2007 Horticulture Work Party Days**
Coming Soon!

*All work parties are held on Saturdays, from 9am-1pm. All tools and equipment for projects are provided. Snacks and beverages are also provided. Please meet in front of the Horticulture Building, in the back parking lot. For directions, please call Pam or visit our web-site at: www.newfs.org.

We are looking for enthusiastic plant-lovers to lead guided walks for either adult or children’s groups. If you enjoy meeting the public and can commit to leading one tour each week from April to June, and an occasional tour from July to October, you can help our visitors appreciate and understand our native plants and the special qualities of our headquarters and botanical garden, Garden in the Woods. If you cannot commit the time to lead tours, training is available for a fee of $45 (members)/$55 (non-members) for each course. Instructors: Bonnie Drexler, Program/Volunteer Manager and other NEWFS staff.

WEEKDAY/WEEKEND ADULT TOUR GUIDE TRAINING
Participants in both of these training courses for leaders of adult groups will be introduced to the Garden’s wildflowers, along with other native plants from across North America. We will discuss the Garden’s history, gardening methods, and activities behind the scenes such as wildflower propagation. A variety of interpretation and leadership skills will also be included.

Adult Weekday Guide Training
Wednesdays, March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11, 9:30 a.m. - 12 noon

Adult Weekend Guide Training
Saturdays, March 31 and April 14, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Wednesdays, April 4 and 11, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Capture new excitement for nature by becoming a children’s tour leader! We will develop techniques, leadership styles, and hands-on activities designed to stimulate an appreciation and understanding of the natural world. Our concentration will be on the natural areas of the garden.

Children's Guide Training Dates
Thursdays, March 22, 29, April 5, 12, 19, 9:30 a.m. - 12 noon

You may also contact Bonnie Drexler at 508-877-7630 Ext. 3302 or e-mail bdrexler@newfs.org.

Events like the New England Flower Show in March, Earth Day in April, the Annual Plant Sale in June, and the Fall Family Festival in October require many hands and minds not only to serve at the event, but to help organize it beforehand. Administrative assistance is appreciated through the year with mailings, data entry, and telephoning. The library and image collection committees put in some time each week to ensure a smooth operation for our members and staff.

To find out more, please call Bonnie Drexler, Program/Volunteer Manager, (508) 877-7630, ext. 3302, email: bdrexler@newfs.org, or DOWNLOAD a copy of our Volunteer Sign-Up Form and send it to Volunteers, NEWFS, 180 Hemenway Road, Framingham, MA 01701; or fax to 508/877-3658

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Revised:12/2006
Copyright (c) 2005 New England Wild Flower Society
Comments, Questions, Suggestions? Contact news@newfs.org