Volunteer Ideas

There are lots of fun volunteer opportunities that give you a chance to spend time with family, lend a helping hand to animals (and plants!) in your community, and learn some cool stuff while you are at it. Here are just a few ideas just to give you some inspiration. I’ll try to add new ones here from time to time for you! – Mike

Your local animal shelter usually has a need for volunteers, including folks who will help clean, do routine maintenance, and even take the dogs out for walks. As I mentioned at the end of Copper and the Tree Frog: The Opossum Apocalypse, some shelters even have a program where you can read to the pets! This is sometimes referred to as a "Rescue Readers" program or something similar.
The Great Sunflower Project - Identify pollinator friendly plants in your yard, favorite park, etc. and just count the pollinators (like bees, butterflies, etc.) who visit the plant over the course of a few minutes. https://www.greatsunflower.org/
The Great Southeast Pollinator Census - If you like the idea of watching out for those pollinators, this is another great opportunity to do some citizen science. Pick a plant of your choice and count those pollinators for about fifteen minutes! More details at https://gsepc.org/
The Great Backyard Bird Count - Continuing the theme of great citizen science projects, the Great Backyard Bird Count is a popular event that takes place each February. You get to pick your favorite place to watch and listen for birds, then identify and count them. Scientists use the information to track bird populations before the birds begin annual migrations, and it is a great way to learn more about birds in your area and even share your best photos. There is lots more info available about this at https://www.birdcount.org/