UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Nature Center volunteer!
Volunteers play a vital role here at the Nature Center, helping us to achieve our goals of conserving the land, connecting people to nature and inspiring environmental stewardship. Volunteers, 13 years of age or older, are welcome at all levels of participation to support programming and other activities.
Our volunteers are involved in pulling invasive species, garden area maintenance, outdoor adventure camps, education classes, welcome desk assistance, special events assistance and office work. The Volunteer Program works with individuals, youth, senior project candidates, college interns and work groups. To receive more information about specific opportunities, please fill out our Request for More Information form.
All individual volunteers are required to fill-out an application, followed by interviewed and background check, in order to be accepted into the program. We strive to help you find the right volunteer placement to fit your interests and availability. The application and interview help us get to know you better and highlight possibilities that are present at a given time.
Group volunteer coordinators can contact the Volunteer Coordinator, volunteer@shakerlakes.org or (216) 321-5935, ext. 237, to discuss the current opportunities available. We do our best to work with the needs of each group. Group leaders will be issued Volunteer Agreements that will outline the project and date. Group participants will need to fill out a participation waiver prior to service.
Approved volunteers active within our program are able to sign-up for upcoming opportunities using the schedule to the left. You will be asked to complete a profile with contact information in Volunteer Hub in order to directly sign-up for those opportunities.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:
Weekend Welcome Desk Assistant
This volunteer will serve as the first point-of-contact our visitors have with the Nature Center. Responsibilities include greeting guests as they arrive, assisting customers in the Duck Pond Gift Shop and various other functions. Our goal is to ensure that our guests have a positive and memorable experience visiting the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.
Animal Care Assistant
The Animal Care Assistant will provide food, water, enrichment and other care needs for the program animals within the Nature Center’s Exhibit Space. These animals currently include two Eastern Box Turtles, two Black Rat Snakes and a Corn Snake. We are particularly in need of volunteers for Saturdays and Sundays.
Stewardship Youth Volunteer
Volunteers will participate actively in many aspects of land management, including: Pulling invasive plants, trail maintenance, trash collection and learning about ecology. Our assistants are a very important part of our stewardship program. Training and guidance in native plants, management techniques and trail maintenance will be provided. The candidate will be enthusiastic, motivated and reliable. Candidate should expect to work in all weather conditions and lift 20 pounds.