HOURS OF OPERATION
Monday thru Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.
Education Volunteer
Job Description
Help students discover and explore estuary ecology at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center.
Volunteer Commitment
Lab Program Volunteers are asked to commit to specific dates as they become available. Volunteers are called as soon as dates are available. Volunteers are not required to assist with a specific number per year. Volunteers are provided with as much notice as possible. Volunteers have the ability to choose from available dates as they are scheduled and therefore, are able to work around their own schedule. Additional dates may become available on short notice and will also be offered to volunteers.
Minimum Qualifications
Program Volunteers must have the following qualifications.
- strong desire to work with students
- a background in science, natural history, and/or lab experience preferred
- strong interpersonal skills to interact positively with the public and students
- ability to follow direction
- basic public speaking skills
- strong communication skills
Sample Tasks
- arrive early to assist in set up
- stay late to assist in clean up
- Activities include fish seining, nature games, stream sampling, lab activities, mammal, reptile and amphibian monitoring, etc.
- in a positive and polite fashion, volunteers should assist students with any difficulties they may have
Training & Benefits
Volunteers will receive specific training on how to assist with this program. There are many benefits to becoming an *active volunteer at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center, including seasonal volunteer appreciation trips, the annual volunteer dinner, skill and resume development, meeting new people, and let's not forget spending time in a natural place (to mention just a few). *Please note: Active volunteer status is reached when you volunteer at least 20 hours a year.
How to Become a Volunteer
First, fill out a volunteer interest form and return it to the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center located at 700 Otter Point Road, Abingdon, MD 21009 or by fax at 410-612-0819. Second, you will be contacted to set up an interview by the Volunteer Coordinator. The interview is designed to help determine which volunteer opportunities will best suit both your needs and the current openings at the Estuary Center. Please remember the needs of our volunteer programs change so we may not always have openings in all program areas.
Calendar of EventsView all
- Chilly Insect Hunt01/25/2020 @ 11:00 am-12:00 pmGrab your family and a magnifying glass to venture outside to hunt for insects. In the winter? Absolutely!! Learn all the tricks to buggy winter survival.
- Winter Afternoon01/25/2020 @ 2:00 pm-3:30 pmLove camping, but it’s just a little too cold? “Camp” indoors while practicing putting up a tent and making a “fire”, eating s’mores, and more!
- Leight Speaker Series - Nature and Nosh01/25/2020 @ 3:00 pm-5:00 pmWildlife and Habitat Management on Aberdeen Proving Ground: Supporting the Army's Testing and Training Mission by Protecting its Biological Resources by Jess Baylor, Forester, and Deidre DeRoia, Wildlife Biologist. Because military lands often are protected from human access and impact, they contain significant large tracts of valuable natural resources. We'll present an overview of the unique challenges and opportunities associated with conducting natural resources programs and projects on Aberdeen Proving Ground.
- Summer Research Intern Report01/26/2020 @ 1:00 pm-2:00 pm2019 Summer Research Intern Eric Amrhein will present “A Survey of Microplastics in Otter Point Creek.” Learn about the relatively new environmental issue of microplastics, including what they are, where they come from, possible impacts to the environment, how they can be measured, and what you can do to reduce their impact.
- Minecraft and Nature01/26/2020 @ 3:00 pm-4:30 pmIs Minecraft teaching kids about nature? Compare Minecraft’s natural world with real life nature and see what’s true and what’s fantasy.
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