Volunteer Opportunities

Check out the calendar for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

To learn more about or volunteer for one of the following opportunities, please contact info@cedarriver.org.

 

Leadership

Board of Directors: 

Friends of the Cedar River Watershed is soliciting motivated people who are interested in serving on our Board of Directors. We are a collaborative, resourceful, and fun organization that offers board members opportunities to build or expand professional skills, develop the FCRW mission and donor base, give back to the community and the environment, and engage citizens in conversation efforts related to regional water supply and water quality issues.  If interested in serving on the Board of Directors, contact Sue Rooney, Executive Director, at the FCRW office at (206) 297-8141.

Outreach & Education Committee:

This committee is the face and voice of FCRW to the public. Committee members work to broaden awareness and appreciation of the Cedar River Watershed and increase participation in FCRW programs and events. This often includes interacting with both adults and children while staffing the FCRW booth at fairs and festivals. There are also creative opportunities available for assisting with display design and new outreach ideas. Event tabling is often busiest on weekends and during spring and summer months.

 

Administrative Work

Database Management:

Our eTapestry database is the lifeblood of this non-profit organization. FCRW is seeking a computer-literate person with database experience to develop best-practices and provide guidance on creating queries, reports, and targeted mailing lists.

Website Management:

We are seeking assistance with regular updates to our web-site and add pages as necessary.  Experience with Contribute is a must.  Expertise on developing forms is strongly desired.  Minimal training available.

 

Cedar River Salmon Journey Naturalists

What is the purpose of the program?

The program will train volunteer naturalists to provide interpretive programs to the public at sites along the Cedar River during the salmon spawning season. Naturalists will present information about the Cedar, its watershed, fish populations, natural and human history.

How will the volunteer naturalists be chosen?

Interested volunteers will fill out a simple application listing their relevant experience and explaining why they would like to participate. Participants must be over 18 and must sign an informal letter of commitment.

When and where are the trainings?

Volunteers receive about 20 hours of training, including three weekday evening sessions of 2-3 hours, and two Saturday sessions of 6-8 hours. Training will be weekday evenings: September 15, 22 and 29, and two Saturday field trainings: September 26 and October 10. Most trainings will be held in the Renton area or in the field, with the September 22 training at the Seattle Aquarium.

What will volunteers learn in the training?

Volunteer naturalists will learn about the natural history of the Cedar River and the Lake Washington System and how the system has been altered. Fish experts will present information on the salmon life cycle and habitat requirements, challenges facing Cedar River salmon and other Cedar River wildlife, information about the Endangered Species Act, and how citizens can help salmon. Volunteer naturalists will also learn about uses and management of the Cedar River and the different agencies involved. Trainers will discuss interpretive skills: how to plan a presentation, interact with the public and present an outdoor talk. Field trips will include an all day field trip through the watershed and a "dress rehearsal" of the interpretive skills learned.

What will happen at the interpretive sites?

Once trained, volunteers will work at selected sites on the Cedar -- including Renton Library, Cedar River Park, Riverview Park, Cavanaugh Pond and Landsburg Park -- for three of six fall weekend days: October 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and November 1. Naturalists will be present at their sites from about 11 to 4, “roving”, talking to small groups and answering questions as they arise. During the training, naturalists pick the dates and sites they would most like to work; we do our best to accommodate preferences.

What kind of support will naturalists have?

Staff from the participating agencies will be available on the interpretive days to help handle emergencies, bring additional supplies and so on. Naturalists will be provided with hats, name tags, handouts, maps and other props.

Who is sponsoring the Cedar River Salmon Journey?

Sponsors include the Brown Bear Car Wash, City of Renton, the Friends of the Cedar River Watershed, King Conservation District, the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed (WRIA 8) Forum, the Seattle Aquarium, Seattle Public Utilities (Cedar River Watershed), the Wal-Mart Foundation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

A brief overview of this volunteer opportunity and a volunteer application are available as PDF downloads.

For more information or to sign up, call Charlotte Spang at (206) 245-0143 or email her at: naturalists@cedarriver.org.

 

Habitat Restoration

Restoration Work Parties:

These ongoing work parties engage youth (12 years of age and older) and adult volunteers in hands-on restoration activities in the Cedar River Watershed. Past volunteer activities have included the removal of invasive plants, weed suppression and planting of native flora in reclaimed sites, and continual management of adopt-a-site restorations. In 2008, almost 1000 volunteers contributed 3700+ hours. Upcoming events are regularly advertised via eCurrents, FCRW's electronic newsletter, and are posted on our online events calendar. FCRW hosts about 24 restoration events per year.

Crew Leader:

Regular participants in restoration projects and other individuals skilled in restoration efforts can become crew leaders, assisting community volunteers in safely accomplishing restoration work projects. Crew Leaders may also develop, with guidance from FCRW and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), ongoing self-supervised restoration efforts in the Rattlesnake Lake Recreation Area e.g., ongoing noxious weed management efforts (see below).

Recruitment Networking:

People like to volunteer alongside their friends. Habitat Restoration events provide a social gathering with a purpose. We are seeking community leaders who can help recruit their friends and associates for restoration projects. Sometimes a recruitment networking volunteer will recruit enough people for their own event. Other times, a this volunteer will recruit a bunch of people to bring along to a scheduled event providing an opportunity to make NEW friends with a similar bent toward conservation and restoring ecosystems. FCRW gives recruitment networking volunteers a schedule of events. Volunteers commit to a minimum number of recruits.

 

Cedar River Watershed Education Center

The Cedar River Watershed Education Center:

(CRWEC) is located above the south shore of Rattlesnake Lake, 32 miles east of Seattle, at exit 32 on I-90. This model regional facility, free and open to the public, is used for environmental education programs and conferences, and includes interpretive exhibits, a research library and archives, an auditorium and classroom/meeting space.

Native Plant Landscape Maintenance and Interpretation:

The Cedar River Watershed Education Center is landscaped with a regionally notable native plant garden. The garden is dominated by plant species found in the Watershed and surrounding areas, and features a remarkable diversity of native species and innovative uses of native plants (sod roofs, for example). Beginning in the Fall of 2002, the garden will require regular maintenance to control weeds, replace dead plants, spread mulch, and so forth. Opportunities for interpreting the purpose and content of the garden for the visiting public are unparalleled! If you'd like to lead or assist in either of these efforts, please contact us. Activities will be conducted under the guidance of SPU staff, and training is provided. (Potential Time Commitment: varies from one month to a lifetime!)

Cedar River Watershed Education Center Host:

Hosts create a positive visitor experience by greeting guests, answering general questions, assisting with scheduling daily programs, assisting in the sales area and performing other reception duties. Volunteers must be 18 years or older, available during the day, and willing to volunteer at least 12 hours per month. Activities will be conducted under the guidance of the CRWEC Facility Coordinator, and training is provided.

Archiving Historical Watershed Records:

The Watershed has more than 100 years of records that have been stored in moldy boxes, unavailable to the public. The Watershed seeks a volunteer to lead or assist in inventorying, sorting, culling, databasing, and properly archiving those records. Contact us if you'd like to lead or participate in this opportunity. Activities will be conducted under the guidance of Watershed staff, and training is provided. (Potential Time Commitment: varies from one month to a lifetime!)

Cedar River Watershed Education Center Library Volunteer:

Assist with the management of the Heritage Library, helping visitors with exploration and research, including use of the GIS archival system. Volunteers may also conduct research or catalog items, and undertake other duties depending on their skills. Activities will be conducted under the guidance of CRWEC Facility Coordinator, and training is provided.

Cedar River Watershed Education Center Facility Volunteer:

Assist with a wide variety of duties depending on individual skills and interests. These volunteers will help keep the Center running smoothly. They may assist with litter patrol, office work and other duties as assigned. Activities will be conducted under the guidance of CRWEC Facility Coordinator, and training is provided in March of every year.