VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Education Volunteer Coordinator, Heidi Henrichs 

A formal Archbold volunteer program was established in January 1995 with 38 volunteers. Since then, volunteers have become a very important part of Archbold’s education and research activities. During the period 2000-2009, Archbold was fortunate to have more than 1100 volunteers donating 35906 hours of service (click here for a table). This is the annual equivalent of 2 full-time employees.

In 2011, the Archbold Volunteer Corps was established to enhance the exiting education volunteer program and expand it to include the new Frances Archbold Hufty Learning Center programs. A new breed of volunteers and docents are being recruited to assist in a variety of areas as Greeters, Trail Guides, Building Guides, Landscape Guides and Arts and Cultural Events assistants.

At the Archbold Biological Station, volunteers have worked for the: Bird Lab, Education program, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Lab, Hydrology Monitoring, Invertebrate Lab, Land Management, Library, Operations, Plant Ecology Lab, and Restoration Ecology Lab. More volunteer opportunities are anticipated upon completion of the new Adrian Archbold Center in 2011.
At the MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center (Buck Island Ranch), volunteers have assisted with a wide variety of Agro-ecology research projects.

Volunteer activities range from data input on computer, measurement and data recording in the field, removal of non-native plant species from the station property, water level measurements and working with station collections. However, the majority of Archbold’s volunteers have devoted their time to number of the station’s education programs. These volunteers are an indispensable part of two of Archbold’s education programs:

1) Ecology Summer Day Camp, where adult and teen volunteers assist campers with crafts, research-oriented activities, and ecology-oriented games, and

2) Getting to Know the Real Florida the elementary environmental education program, where adult volunteers help lead and assist visiting 3rd-5th grade classes from Highlands County, and surrounding county schools, on a variety of activities - scrub hunt, animal tracking, weather station and scientist’s lab.

As a way of showing our gratitude for their hard work, Archbold annually treats current volunteers to a Volunteer Appreciation Day event that includes a Ranch Safari at Buck Island Ranch and a cookout. Thank you to all our wonderful volunteers!
New volunteers are always welcome. To volunteer or to receive more information on Archbold’s Volunteer Program, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, at 863-465-2571 or <send an e-mail>.

volunteer appreciation day

Mike Mazzeo, georefrencing

Estrella Hintz, summer camp

Tor Rothman