VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Thank you for your aspiration to give back by volunteering your time, skills and enthusiasm.

We hope that one or more of these positions will connect with you! 

FIELDWORK VOLUNTEER

Our Fieldwork Volunteers are the backbone of our volunteer corps. They help restore, maintain, and enhance the ecological health of our conserved properties by replanting native species and helping us get rid of unwanted ones, cleaning up beaches, maintaining trails, and a variety of other activities. We invite anybody with any level of experience to enjoy the camaraderie of working with others who share a similar passions for being in the outdoors, aiding species recovery, supporting island ecology, and becoming more involved in land conservation. 

Time commitment: Attend one or more work parties per year.
Requirements: Physical ability to do manual labor. Your own equipment appreciated, but not necessary.
Location: Various locations throughout islands, most will be ferry-served. Transportation to non-ferry-served islands provided by SJPT; carpools are often arranged.

To apply, fill out our Volunteer Application here.

Volunteers plant Henderson’s Checkermallow on Henry Island Preserve

PRESERVE STEWARD

Do you have a favorite place in the San Juans? Perhaps it is right near your own backyard or somewhere you go often to enjoy a moment to yourself. Our Preserve Stewards adopt one (or more!) of our Preservation Trust-owned preserves (we can provide you with a list of current openings/priorities) and make regular visits. Preserve Stewards clean up any trash, report vandalism or other harmful activity on the preserves, attend occasional work parties, document bird and mammal sightings (not a formal requirement of the position), and complete brief follow-up reports. 

Time commitment: Choose one (or more, if your schedule allows) preserve(s) and visit it a minimum of once a month for at least six months.
Requirements: Physical ability to hike over hilly and uneven ground.
Location: Choose one of five islands to monitor: Lopez, San Juan, Orcas, Shaw, or Guemes. We also need stewards for Jack, Henry, Stuart, McConnell, and Decatur Islands (please indicate if you can get to these non-ferry-served islands on your volunteer application).

To apply, fill out our Preserve Steward Application here.

A field visit to a preserve

COMMUNITY SCIENTIST

Our community scientist volunteers assist Special Projects Director, Kathleen Lewis, and other SJPT staff with some of our species-specific projects, such as the Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project, the Island Marble Butterfly Expansion Project, and the Annual Swan Count. Like the incredible animals that these projects are based around, the work to help them out changes throughout the seasons, but returns each year. We appreciate any help on these projects, even just a single instance, but we are aiming to have more folks that can commit to helping out these species year after year.  

For the Bluebird Project in particular, we are looking for more volunteers who can adopt a territory of next boxes to care for or who can join one or more Bluebird Blitz monitoring parties per year. Sign up to be put on our list of volunteers who track, record, and support these special species. For the Island Marble Butterfly Project, volunteers are wanted from March through November to help with pollinator plantings, ground preparation, and unwanted species control. This can be done at either regularly scheduled work party events or during self-guided outings, once the volunteer has been provided with a project orientation and training. 

Time commitment: Attend one or more outings per year or, dependent on capacity, adopt an area of a project to care for on your own.
Requirements: Ability to identify and count swans and/or bluebirds, as well as the ability to walk one mile over uneven terrain and carry 25 pounds. A ladder and cleaning equipment may be necessary when servicing next boxes. Click here for cleaning protocol.
Location: Various locations throughout the islands, your own transportation may be necessary. Western Bluebird nest boxes and Island Marble Butterfly patches are currently only on San Juan Island. 

To apply, fill out our Volunteer Application here. 

Volunteers count birds at Zylstra Lake Preserve

OUTREACH AND EVENT SUPPORT

Help the Preservation Trust spread the word about our conservation work through community events! Volunteers in this position can help with a variety of duties ranging from staffing a SJPT booth at farmers’ markets or during the county fair to helping with the planning and execution of our Annual Meeting, Summer Socials, and other educational, outreach, and donor-appreciation events. 

Time Commitment: Assist with one event per year.
Requirements: None, although those with event-planning expertise would be especially welcome!
Location: Various locations around the islands, although most will be ferry-served islands

To apply, fill out our Volunteer Application here.

Summer Social

OFFICE ASSISTANCE

Volunteers in this position will be assisting our Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator and other SJPT staff in a variety of clerical tasks including help with large mailings, maintenance of files, and other duties as needed. Enjoy the camaraderie of working directly with SJPT staff at our office in Friday Harbor while helping us stay organized and efficient. On-the-job training provided. 

Time Commitment: Flexible, depending on our needs and your schedule
Requirements: Good organizational skills and computer experience helpful
Location: Friday Harbor office

To apply, fill out our Volunteer Application here.

Volunteers assisting with mailings

SPECIAL SERVICES AND SKILLS

Do you have a special skill, hobby, or talent that you would like to put to great use? The Preservation Trust can use people with the following skills for help with special projects. This is a great option for those professional and creative types who would like to help the SJPT on a project-based level. We are occasionally looking for people who have experience in the following areas:

  • Writing/editing
  • Grant writing
  • Event planning
  • Photography
  • Painting (artistic)
  • Naturalist guide
  • Interpreter/Translator
  • Woodworking (building benches or signs)
  • Filmmaking
  • Public relations
  • Web site maintenance
  • Legal
  • Computer/IT skills
  • Aviation (private pilot services)
  • Marine transport (private boat services)

Time commitment: Flexible.
Requirements: A reasonable level of skill in indicated area of interest.
Location: Various locations around the islands, depending on project.

To apply, fill out our Volunteer Application here.

Volunteer sitting on his newly donated bench at Peach Preserve

Upon acceptance of a volunteer position, all volunteers will receive an introductory packet that explains the mission and background of the San Juan Preservation Trust as well as more detailed information on your particular job choice. Those positions that require more extensive training are indicated, and will be provided by the Preservation Trust.