Volunteer

Caring for Nature

The Lancaster Conservancy protects over 8,000 acres of land on over 50 nature preserves spread across the Susquehanna Riverlands and Pennsylvania Highlands Conservation Landscapes in Lancaster and York Counties. We depend on volunteers to help protect and steward these preserves that are so critically important to both our human and ecological health. There are several ways for you to get involved and have a positive impact on our community!

OPPORTUNITIES TO VOLUNTEER

Volunteer Days

Get out and give back! Keep an eye on our events calendar for upcoming volunteer workdays. These days are focused on a preserve management project like invasive plant removals, trail work, litter removal, or tree care. No experience is necessary to volunteer. This is a great way to give back to the preserves that give so much to us, without a long-term commitment of time. It’s also a great way to learn about the Conservancy’s work protecting and restoring our natural lands.

Volunteer Reminders:

  1. Dress for weather conditions and in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty
  2. Wear good sturdy footwear
  3. We’ll provide gloves and tools (but feel free to bring your own!)
  4. Wear sunscreen and use insect repellent at your own discretion
  5. Bring your own water bottle (we’ll provide a refill)!

You can find upcoming volunteer opportunities here or on our events page. If you plan to attend a volunteer day please be sure to sign up via Eventbrite so we can plan for your experience and send you logistical information!

WHY VOLUNTEER?

  • Action generates hope
  • Make new friends
  • Have a significant positive impact on our community
  • Expand your knowledge of native plants and animals
  • Learn new skills to help manage your own landscape
  • Enjoy beautiful scenery
  • Become part of a community dedicated to making our world a better place

Upcoming Events Calendar

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Organization Service Days 

Looking for a meaningful team building event for your corporation?  How about a service project for your scout or community group? Look no further!  We have plenty of opportunities for groups to engage with Lancaster Conservancy preserve service projects. Our organization service days can be combined with intentional team building activities and conversations to help your team work through challenges both on the preserve and back in the office. Our organization service days are combined with educational activities related to ecology, nature and ecosystem management.

If you are interested in learning more, please complete the form below! A minimum of 10 volunteers is required for organization service days. The Conservancy requires a $500 donation for corporate groups or a $10 per student/volunteer fee (negotiable based on school or youth group ability to pay) per volunteer workday event to cover the cost of staff time to organized and implement the activity. Alternately, volunteer service and team building days are included as one of the benefits of Conservancy Annual Sponsorships.

We review Organization Service Day submissions on a weekly basis and will be in touch shortly. If you have any questions please contact Keith Williams, the Conservancy’s Vice President of Engagement & Education, at KWilliams@lancasterconservancy.org.

Complete Form

Volunteer Land Stewards

Volunteer Land Stewards are critical to caring for the Conservancy’s preserves and engaging with visitors and the community.

Are you looking for an opportunity to get outside and give back to the beautiful natural places you love? The Conservancy’s Volunteer Land Steward program offers participants training and resources to use their talents to help make a difference – not to mention connects you with a community of like minded individuals who share your passion for our environment! There are two main roles Volunteer Land Stewards can play after they apply and complete the initial 5 hour self-paced online training.
Nature Preserve Stewardship
Volunteer Land Stewards play a critical role in caring for the Conservancy’s nature preserves. Each volunteer is trained in wilderness first aid, leave no trace, invasive plant removal, trail brushing and scouting, and other land management skills. Once Volunteer Land Stewards complete training they can adopt one of the Conservancy’s priority preserves and function as an extension of our stewardship team by accomplishing regular care taker tasks like invasive plant removal and trail maintenance, while reporting issues to our stewardship team. No experience is necessary! This is a wonderful way to directly contribute to the preservation of land and biodiversity in our region.
Visitor and Community Education
Our preserves see thousands of visitors each year. Volunteer Land Stewards can help those visitors have richer experiences on our preserves by reminding them of Leave No Trace principles, ensuring their safety and providing background information about the natural and human history protected by our preserves. Once initial training is complete Volunteer Land Stewards who wish to help with outreach can choose the area or areas they would most like to work in whether that is tabling at our busiest preserves on weekends, representing the Conservancy at events, or assisting administratively in our office during weekdays. This is a wonderful way to directly contribute to the work of the Lancaster Conservancy by informing and educating people about our work and the preserves they use.
Apply below to join, or contact Keith Williams, the Conservancy’s Community Engagement Coordinator with questions at kwilliams@lancasterconservancy.org.
Volunteer Benefits
– Advanced training opportunities (including discounted rates on Wilderness First Aid training)
– Hands-on land stewardship and environmental education training from Conservancy experts
– Volunteer Land Steward recognition including volunteer t shirt and length of service awards
– Resources and reference materials to build your skill set about natural lands
– Ongoing support, encouragement, and education from Conservancy staff and board
Volunteer Requirements
– Participants must be age 18 or older.
– Participants will be asked to complete background checks, including: criminal history and PA Child Abuse History Certification. An FBI Fingerprint may be requested based on Criminal History.
– We ask our Volunteer Land Stewards to join the Conservancy as a member with a donation of $40 per year (this helps cover the costs of training, volunteer t-shirts, and program management).
– Volunteer Land Steward are asked to commit to 30 hours of Conservancy volunteer work each year.
Learn More & Apply
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