Volunteer

Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is looking for volunteers!

Please join us for our Hawk Ridge Volunteer Welcome Orientation and Potluck on Tuesday, August 29th from 6-8pm (in person). RSVP required by Monday, August 28th by sending an email to Hawk Ridge Volunteer Coordinator, Valerie Slocum, at volunteer@hawkridge.org for further information.

Who is Eligible?

Anyone who shares a passion for birds and has the desire to help, learn & have fun! No prior experience is necessary. We will train and teach you, and provide ample opportunities for you to pursue your passion, whether it be birds, sales, public relations, or teaching!

Volunteer Opportunities

Fall Migration at the Overlook
(September/October)

Each fall, Hawk Ridge sees thousands of migrating raptors passing by as they make their way to their wintering grounds south of us. We also get thousands of visitors stopping at the Main Overlook at Hawk Ridge to witness the phenomenon.

Overlook volunteers perform a multitude of tasks!! You might greet visitors, sell merchandise, point out birds to visitors (we’ll teach you how to tell them apart… it’s easy to learn), update written visitor information, count and/or survey visitors, carry birds from our research station to the education site, etc… the list goes on and on, so I’ll stop with this glimpse into how we utilize our volunteers in the fall. We’ll give you all of the info you’ll need to be a competent, successful volunteer before you start, so don’t let your unfamiliarity keep you from considering the fall migration as your outlet for volunteer activities!

Office Assistant
(ongoing, year-round)

Our Executive Director, Janelle Long, has more office work to do than she has hours in which to do it all! We need helpers who will commit to regular hours in the office with Janelle. You don’t necessarily have to come for full days, or on a weekly basis… if you could offer an afternoon a week/every other week/or a day a month, we’ll gladly accept your help!! The key to this position is consistency. We want people who will return on a regular basis and get familiar with our systems and expectations so our training time is well spent.

Office assistant volunteers are the hands and feet of the organization! You’ll be preparing mailings (folding, stuffing, sealing, posting envelopes), entering information into our database, running errands, doing basic internet research, opening and sorting mail, etc… again, this list can go on and on! Office assistant volunteers should be comfortable on a computer, but we will teach you everything you need to know to be successful.

Fundraising / Marketing / Design
(ongoing, year-round)

Do you have experience in marketing, PR or graphic design? How ’bout fundraising, grant-writing or other financial solicitation? We need fresh new people to sit on our committees and help out in these areas.

Does volunteering with Hawk Ridge sound exciting?? It is!