Volunteer Preserve Monitors Needed!

If you are active and like to be outdoors, volunteering to be a preserve monitor may be for you.

Preserve Monitors are responsible for assessing the condition of an assigned preserve, including the status of trails, boundaries, signs, invasive plants, prohibited uses, and other maintenance issues. A minimum of two visits per year to the preserve are needed, walking trails and boundaries in their entirety; four visits spread throughout the year are ideal.

Duties:

1. Complete annual site visits and return monitoring field forms to our office no later than the date requested.

2. Walk the boundaries in their entirety to ensure that no encroachment has taken place.

3. If trails are present, walk all trails to assess their overall condition.

4. Remove litter from trailheads, parking areas, and along trails.

5. Assess condition of signs.

6. Take note of any prohibited uses: dumping, camping, campfires, illegal hunting, off-road vehicles, etc.

7. Report serious issues to Nature Conservancy staff immediately.

8. For those sites not owned by The Nature Conservancy, such as easement land, coordinate site visits with the site owner, and/or advise the site owner of the visit in advance.

Requirements:

1. Ability to read survey and topographic maps and orient oneself in the field; ability to use a compass is helpful.

2. Ability to walk over uneven terrain, often for several hours.

3. Good organizational and record-keeping skills.

4. Ability to provide own transportation.

5. Willingness to commit at least two years to the position.

6. A love of the outdoors and a desire to assist in the management of natural areas.

To volunteer, please contact Sarah Pellegrino, Conservation Program Coordinator. spellegrino@tnc.org; (860) 344-0716 ext. 320