Volunteering is fun

3,000+ hours volunteered annually

Volunteer & Stewardship Opportunities

One of the important ways the Otter Point Creek Alliance supports the Estuary Center is through its volunteers. Our volunteers donate their time (a total of over 3,000 hours, annually), their knowledge, their skills and expertise, and their enthusiasm. Volunteers have many great opportunities to help that range from supporting school programs or community events, to working on Citizen Science Projects, just to name a few.

If you want to learn more about the ecology and habitats that surround Otter Point Creek, or if you are interested in meeting like-minded individuals in your community, consider joining our dedicated group of volunteers. Share your enthusiasm, learn something new, teach others, get outdoors, and meet folks who care as much as you do.

Volunteer Opportunities

Many of our ongoing education, research, and stewardship projects are dependent on volunteers. Roll over the links below to learn more about our volunteer opportunities.

Monitoring

Monitoring

Take part in programs to study the plant and animal life in our park

Special Events

Special Events

Help with events throughout the year which promote public awareness of the environment

Canoe/Kayak Assistant

Canoe/Kayak Assistant

Assist naturalists on canoe and kayak trips.

Marsh Mucker

Marsh Mucker

Teens responsible for animal care of our resident turtles & snakes

Frogwatch

Frogwatch

A citizen science program that provides individuals, groups, and families with an opportunity to learn about wetlands in their communities and report data on the calls of local frogs and toads.

Front Desk Greeter

Front Desk Greeter

Smiling faces needed to welcome visitors

Research

Research

Join our citizen science research programs on a wide diversity of subjects

Trail Monitor

Trail Monitor

Walk the trails and keep them clean and safe for all to enjoy

Education Aide

Education Aide

Assist naturalist with school education field trips

Invasive Plant Removal

Invasive Plant Removal

Join the effort to remove invasive plant species throughout the park

Other Opportunities

Other Opportunities

The Center’s to-do list never ends. Contact us for more opportunities and to join our volunteer team
Volunteer Highlights

Our amazing group of volunteers are the life blood of Otter Point Creek Alliance and the Estuary Center.

The contributions of our volunteers are spotlighted in many ways during the year.

The Volunteer Spotlight is a large part of the Otter Point Creek Alliance’s quarterly newsletter, The Otter’s Tale, which is published on a quarterly basis. The Otter Point Creek Alliance also sponsors an annual Volunteer of the Year award. Nominations are submitted by the Estuary Center staff or other volunteers. Once the winner is selected, the award is presented at the Annual Volunteer Appreciation event. No matter how big, no matter how small, the contribution of each and every volunteer greatly impacts the success of Otter Point Creek Alliance.

Melissa Caudill

Melissa Caudill (Mel)

Melissa started volunteering with Otter Point Creek Alliance (OPCA) in 2018 after completing the Master Naturalist of the Coastal Plains program through DNR. What started with helping on a fish survey turned into a serious volunteer commitment with board membership. Now predominantly helping with the website and social media, Mel can still be found on the boat during the months of the fish survey, or at an outreach event trying to keep Speedy the turtle to stay on the table!

Past Volunteer Spotlights

Alice Moore
Jim Franczkowski
Dan Bennett
Shawn Slater