Flat Rock Brook Nature Center relies on the dedication of hundreds of volunteers to accomplish its goals.

We thrive with the help and support of our dedicated volunteers. Whether it’s our trails guides reaching thousands of school children, corporate partners rolling up their sleeves for field projects, or our mail crew reaching out to our supporters, we depend on our volunteers to ensure our success.

There are numerous volunteer opportunities at Flat Rock Brook Nature Center for both adults and students. Review our list of adult, group and student opportunities. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete and submit the form under your area of interest or contact our office at (201) 567-1265  for additional information.

Volunteer Forms

Download a PDF or fill out the form below.

General Volunteer Form

*required

 Education and Visitor Engagement

Responsibilities

• Volunteer to help with a minimum of 5 programs from April to June

• Volunteer to help with a minimum of 5 programs from September to November

 Trail Guides

If you have a special interest in nature and the outdoors, enjoy sharing your knowledge with children, and would like to learn more about the natural world, you may enjoy participating in Flat Rock Brook's volunteer trail guide program. Since 1974, the trail guides of Flat Rock Brook have taught nature study classes outdoors.

New recruits learn from experienced guides teaching children on nature walks. Trail guides also participate in educational workshops and attend field trips to various natural areas throughout the region. The training program is free. Sessions are held in March, April, May, September, October, and November with indoor lectures and outdoor exploration on our trails.

Benefits

• Interaction with the Flat Rock Brook community

• Learn more about environmental concepts

• Helping convey those lessons to the weekend public

Docents

Docents act as weekend support for visitors to Flat Rock Brook. Due to current restrictions, docents will be stationed directly outside of the nature center. Docents answer questions visitors may have regarding trails, the exhibit room, and the organization in general.

Flat Rock Brook will provide training on questions that are likely to arise during interaction with visitors. Docents may provide trail suggestions, give an overview of the organization, direct visitors to public programs they might enjoy and other duties. Upon the reopening of our Nature Center, we will train docents to have a thorough understanding of topics covered in the self-guided exhibit room so they can engage with visitors that have an interest in deeper learning. Prospective Docents will be asked to attend an Educational Training Day in April. This will help Docents feel comfortable presenting artifacts and educational information to the public!

Prerequisites

• Weekend availability

• Familiarity with Flat Rock Brook is beneficial but all the information needed can be learned!

• Attend the April Training Date

• Enjoy welcoming new and returning visitors to Flat Rock Brook

• Interested in educating the public on things around Flat Rock

 Student Opportunities

Junior Rangers

These Rangers will help the education staff facilitate public and private programming including field trips, weekend public programs, and birthday parties. Please note that most of our public programming occurs on Sunday afternoons. Experienced Jr. Rangers will also be permitted to conduct storytimes and small craft projects if they feel comfortable doing so.

Jr. Rangers will be required to attend an Educational Training Day in April. Staff will always be present and available while these young volunteers are present and they are not to leave the Nature Center alone without permission from a staff member first.

Requirements:

• Age 12-14

• Volunteer for a minimum of 2 hours per season (spring, summer, fall) for a minimum total of 6 hours per calendar year.

• Attend the Educational Training Day in April

Land Rangers

Those with an interest in Environmental Studies and Forestry may find an interest in being a Land Ranger. Land Rangers will help our Land Management Department with trail clean up, minor trail maintenance, and the control of invasive plant species here at Flat Rock Brook.

Land Rangers will be required to attend a Land Training Day in April. They will be trained on the proper identification of invasive species and the proper techniques to remove these plants. After this training date, Land Rangers will be required to take a short quiz on the information they learned to ensure they are prepared to start volunteering in this position.

Requirements:

• Age 15-17

• Volunteer for a minimum of 4 hours per season (spring, summer, fall) for a minimum total of 12 hours per calendar year

• Willing to get dirty

• Able to bend over and/or kneel on the ground

• Good balance and able to walk up hill

• Attend the Land Training Day in April

• Pass the post training quiz

Ranger Program

New applications will be accepted starting February of 2023.

The Ranger Program is a volunteer opportunity designed for students ages 12-17. These volunteers will have the opportunity to help Flat Rock Brook in a variety of ways depending on their age and particular interests. Those who are ages 12-14 will start as Jr. Rangers. Those who are ages 15-17 will have a few subcategories to choose from in terms of volunteering.

Education Rangers

Those with an interest in Education and Environmental Science may find an interest in being an Education Ranger. Education Rangers will assist our Education Department with teaching programs and conveying educational materials to the public. Please note that a majority of our public programming occurs on Sunday afternoons.

Education Rangers will be required to attend an Education Training Day in April. They will be trained on common programs given to field trips and the weekend public. Education Rangers will also be trained on the use of environmental and animal artifacts as tools for conveying educational material to the public. After the April training date, Education Rangers will be required to take a short quiz on the information they learned to ensure they are prepared to start volunteering in this position.

Requirements:

• Age 15-17

• Volunteer for a minimum of 4 hours per season (spring, summer, fall) for a minimum total of 12 hours per calendar year

• Attend the Educational Training Day in April

• Pass the post training quiz

Tech Rangers

Those with an interest in Technology and Communications may find interest in being a Tech Ranger. Tech Rangers will help our organization by updating and organizing our photo library, posting on our social media outlets about upcoming programming, and writing nature blogs for our website.

Tech Rangers will be required to attend an Educational Training Day in April. This is to ensure that these Rangers are understanding of educational material that they may be conveying in their posts. After this training date, Tech Rangers will be required to take a short quiz to ensure they are understanding of our protocols and guidelines regarding posting on social media on behalf of Flat Rock Brook. Any posts/blogs they create must be approved by a staff member before being posted to any social media platforms.

Requirements:

• Age 15-17

• Volunteer for a minimum of 4 hours per season (spring, summer, fall) for a minimum total of 12 hours per calendar year

• Write a minimum of 1 blog post per season for a minimum total of 3 per calendar year

• Attend the Educational Training Day in April

• Pass the post training quiz

Camp Counselors and Counselors-in-Training (CITs)

Benefits

• All counselors will receive extensive training on child care and safety.

• Learn about a variety of environmental topics from naturalists.

• We are happy to work with counselors on any paperwork they need to get volunteer credit at school or at other programs.

Responsibilities:

• We ask for our Counselors and CITs to volunteer for a minimum of one camp session (one week).

• Alternatively, if you plan to volunteer solely on Wednesdays, you are expected to commit to at least 5 Wednesdays throughout the summer.

• We will reach out to find out which dates work best for you.

We rely on our camp counselors to provide a safe and fun experience at summer camp! Counselors will work directly with camp teachers to assist campers with crafts, games, hikes and other activities. CIT’s will perform many of the same tasks as our counselors. CIT’s will have the opportunity to learn about the responsibilities of a camp counselor.

We are looking for Counselors and CITs willing to volunteer for full sessions (one week each), as well as individuals willing to volunteer solely on Wednesdays when we have less staff available.

Requirements for
Camp Counselors

• Must be at least 16 years old and willing to undergo a background check

• Must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (mRNA vaccine) and boosted if the last shot was given more than 6 months ago.

• Must be certified in CPR and First Aid. If they do not have that certification, we will arrange a certification course for you.

• Must be able and willing to hike on uneven terrain, stay outdoors for most of the day, and listen carefully to teacher instructions.

 Animal Volunteer Opportunities

Benefits

• Learn about the care of various raptor species including hawks, falcons, and owls

• Work in close proximity with birds of prey

Raptor Care Volunteers

Raptor Care volunteers are crucial members of our team that help us to keep our birds of prey healthy. These volunteers assist with the care and feeding of our birds and help to maintain their living areas.

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years old

• Volunteer a minimum of one day per week between 9:30am and 5pm for approximately one hour.

Responsibilities

• Weigh out and thaw out mice to be fed to 5 raptorss

• Disinfect water dishes and replenish with fresh water

• Clean feeding mats and feeding areas

• Collect and dispose of expelled pellets from the birds’ enclosures

• Assist in deep cleaning of the aviary

Benefits

Learn about the care of several different animal species, including corn snakes, box turtles, aquatic turtles, stick insects, salamanders and more.

For those interested, we will train you on the handling and enrichment of many animal ambassadors. We require volunteers to settle into their position caring for the animals before this additional training can take place.

animal Care Volunteers

Animal Care volunteers are crucial members of our team that help us to keep our animal ambassadors happy and healthy. These volunteers assist with the care of reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates kept within the nature center.

Requirements

• Must be at least 16 years old

• Comfortable handling animals such as snakes, turtles, frogs and insects

• Comfortable feeding animals live feeder insects

• Complete a thorough training on the care and handling of our ambassador animals

• Volunteer a minimum of once a week between 9:30am and 5pm. A complete round of animal care takes approximately one hour. Volunteers should be ready to commit to the same day every week. (If there is trouble arriving within that window, we expect the volunteer to call the office and notify us of the change as soon as possible.)

• Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and
  provide a copy of their vaccine card

 Outdoor Volunteering

Land Management

Learn about Land Management with hands-on work, including invasive plant removal, habitat restoration, and trail improvements. Work days are flexible and vary based on the season. Minimal experience needed.

Minimum age requirement is 16 yrs old.

For more information contact Catherine@flatrockbrook.org

Gardeners

The gardens at Flat Rock Brook were created by our volunteer gardeners. It is an ongoing project and everyone is welcome to join this group regardless of experience. Volunteer gardeners work on plantings, upkeep, maintenance and care of our gardens with a special emphasis on our Native Habitat and Butterfly Gardens. We use integrated pest management gardening techniques and plant natives to attract beneficial insects and other wildlife.

Requirements

• Easy to moderate physical labor

• No experience necessary

• Age 16 and older

For more information contact Catherine@flatrockbrook.org

Handy Heroes

Handy Heroes help maintain Flat Rock on an as needed basis! These volunteers will help with a variety of projects from cleaning litter from the trails to blowing leaves from the cattle guard.

Responsibilities

• There are no specific commitments for this position

• However, here are some of the possible jobs that will be available to those in this position:

  • On Call Heroes (On an as-needed basis): Be placed on a list of heroes we can call on to help us shovel on snowy days and help with other day of needs.

  • Litterbug Heroes (At your leisure): Help clean up trails and empty full trashcans at Jones Rd.

  • Repair Heroes (At your convenience): Consult the list of minor repairs that need to be done in and around our building and grounds.

  • Trail Heroes (On a semi-regular basis): Help distribute woodchips on muddy/flooded trails and help replace water bars to keep our trails from eroding due to weather.

Requirements

• There are no specific requirements to be a Handy Hero!

• However, some beneficial abilities would be:

  • Ability to use power and manual tools (hammer, drill, leaf blower, etc.)

  • Ability to lift 25 lbs.

  • Good balance and able to walk up hill

  • Willing to get dirty

 For Corporations and Organizations

Group Volunteering

Volunteer groups from corporate, non-profit, and private organizations assist Flat Rock Brook with trail maintenance, invasive species removal, native plantings, erosion control installation, and other projects. All programs require easy to moderate physical labor. All materials are supplied.

We can accommodate groups of up to 30 individuals for volunteer days. If you are interested in a group volunteer opportunity, please fill out our Group Volunteer Form at the top of the page. Please email this form to catherine@flatrockbrook.org

Requirements

• Available for weekdays and/or weekends

• At least 16 years of age

• No experience necessary

• Moderate physical labor

 Occasional Commitment

Special Events

Flat Rock Brook hosts several annual events. Our annual Recognition Dinner honors outstanding individuals and companies. The Great Fall Festival brings hundreds of families to the Nature Center for outdoor fun. We seek individuals to assist with a variety of efforts to help ensure our success at these events.

Requirements

• There are no specific requirements for becoming a special event volunteer; however, as events come closer, there will be specific jobs that need to be filled.

Here are some examples of jobs from the Great Fall Festival:

• Setting up tables and decorations

• Food distribution

• Facilitating Crafts and Games