New England Aquarium

Invasive plants can be found in nearly every park in Massachusetts. Left unchecked, these invaders can choke-out native species and pose a risk to both human and environmental health. Fortunately, organizations across the state work with hundreds of volunteers every year to combat these invaders. But we need your help! At this workshop, Ellen Arnstein, Field Operations Manager and arborist for the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, will teach attendees some basics of forest ecology, review common invaders and how to identify them, and offer ways volunteers can help. Attendees will also be invited to participate in a field project on the Emerald Necklace at a future date, and learn how they can get involved in related events offered by partner organizations. Please note that participants must be age 18+. Teens may signup via the live blue Ambassadors program. Anyone not already in the live blue Service Corps must first create a profile before clicking "Sign Up" below. This workshop is being offered thanks to our partners in the PEACH program. To learn more, visit serve.neaq.org/PEACH.

Revere Beach is America’s first public beach. It is a destination for tourists and locals alike, and yet, it is often littered with trash from local restaurants and marine debris. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation works hard to maintain the beach, but they need our help to remove litter, educate the public, and raise awareness about the issues surrounding marine debris. Pick up some trash, talk to some people, and keep Revere Beach clean! We’ll learn a little more about marine debris from our DCR partner, Matthew Nash, and then spend the rest of the morning picking up everything from cigarette butts to jars of molasses (seriously). This is a monthly event throughout the summer. Please join us for as many dates as you are able, and feel free to bring a friend! (Just let us know to expect them!)

Two species of river herring migrate up the Mystic River each spring: Alewife (Alosa psuedoharenous) and Blueback Herring (Alosa aestivalis). Both fish are anadromous: they spend most of their lives at sea and return to freshwater habitats to spawn, or lay eggs. Since the early 1900's the river herring population in the Mystic has drastically declined due to by-catch, habitat loss and degradation, water pollution, poaching, access to spawning habitat, and natural predators. They are now a threatened species. According to the Herring Alliance some river herring runs on the Atlantic Coast have declined by 95% or more over the past 20 years! In 2011, a fish ladder was installed at the Upper Mystic Lake Dam, allowing herring to access previously lost breeding grounds. In 2017, an underwater camera was installed so that volunteers could count fish and give us a better understanding of how the populations are shifting over time. This is where citizen science comes in! After learning a bit more about the Mystic River Watershed Association's ongoing efforts to revitalize native herring populations, volunteers will create an account (or sign in as a guest) to count fish in 30-60 second long videos. The data will be added to a publicly accessible database, and the top counters will be listed on an online leaderboard (we will even give a small prize to the top-counter after this event!). A smartphone, tablet, or computer is required to view the videos, so come prepared with your own. You are welcome to bring your own snacks/refreshments!

Volunteers for the Aquarium Lecture Series assist with checking in guests, answer questions, set-up and break down materials, provide general program support, and provide an overall pleasant and inviting atmosphere. You are also welcome to stay to enjoy the lecture! To learn more about the lecture series and to see upcoming speakers, see our website.

Founded in 2001, the mission of the Marblehead Conservancy is to protect, acquire, and enhance Marblehead’s natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the public both for toda's residents and visitors and for future generations. In keeping with its mission, the Conservancy’s early efforts focused on two primary areas: the restoration of access to and through public natural open spaces and working to secure additional open space through land acquisition and conservation restrictions on private property. The Trails Committee focuses on the maintenance and improvement of trails and their surrounding areas in Marblehead’s conservation lands, including the removal of invasive species. On June 1, we will be clearing a path through the woods and laying down wood chips for the trail near Robinson Farm Conservation Area. Come prepared to work hard and keep this space accessible for all!

As Boston's second largest unfragmented woodland, Allandale Woods is a crucial component of the city's natural areas inventory. Composed primarily of oaks, maples, and pines, Allandale Woods is one of the few relatively pristine secondary growth oak-hickory forests in the city of Boston. Trails run throughout the site leading to various areas of interest including scenic Rock Pond, an extensive Depression-era stone boundary wall, a cattail marsh, intertwining streams that form the Bussey Brook headwaters, underground springs, an historic spring house, and a certified vernal pool. Woodlands like this are in need of constant care to combat invasive species, maintain trails, and restore impacted native habitats. The Service Corps will be involved in a number of projects, including: -Maintenance on trails, including removal of downed limbs and debris -Invasive species removal -Trail-side pruning -Watering new restoration plants Come prepared for some heavy-duty gardening and trail work!

Become part of a community and be empowered to make positive change in your state parks as we develop solutions together for ongoing concerns that impact the experiences of visitors and the resident wildlife. Come discover your creative talents and have fun while learning. We will be using design thinking*, a simple and highly effective problem solving approach used throughout the world by professional design teams. The ideas that we generate will be used to guide the creation of meaningful and impactful volunteer opportunities in the DCR state parks of Constitution Beach and Belle Isle Marsh (East Boston), Revere and Winthrop Beaches. Examples of Environmental challenges in our state parks include: 1) Litter enters the ocean where it harms marine life and may negatively affect the safety and availability of seafood and even human health. 2) Dogs on and off leash disturb birds while migrating and\or nesting especially shorebirds on beaches 3) Feeding gulls results in large numbers of them on the beach where they prey on nesting shorebirds and their young. For more information contact Matthew Nash, DCR Visitor Services Supervisor at Matthew.Nash@mass.gov or 781-656-1485 *Design Thinking is a fun and interactive team process for solving problems and discovering new opportunities that focuses on understanding people and uncovering the core nature of the problem (Empathy), generating lots of possible ideas for a solution (Ideation), and creating and presenting a chosen solution in the form of a skit, drawing, diorama or crude device or tool to users for feedback from them before continuing (Proto-typing). Design thinking also involves a series of mindsets that include a focus on the people you are designing for and obtaining feedback from those users (Focus on Humans), doing (Biased Toward Action), experimentation that fails fast and cheaply (Rapid Proto-typing), communicating in impactful and meaningful ways using visuals and stories (Show Don’t Tell) and which capitalizes on the strengths of diverse teams (Radical Collaboration).

Woodlands Volunteer Corps (Second Saturdays) Franklin and Olmsted Parks June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14, October 12 and November 9 | 10:00am – 1:00pm Help implement a comprehensive woodlands management program and promote a healthier forest through activities ranging from removing invasive plant species to conditioning forest soil. If you are interested in this event, please register at the following link: https://www.emeraldnecklace.org/volunteer/

Want to know more about the live blue Service Corps? Through this program, we partner with local environmental organizations to provide episodic volunteer opportunities with a smaller commitment that still has an important impact on our mission! This program was built in flexibility; you only sign up for the service events in which you're interested and for which you have the time. To become a live blue Service Corps member, volunteers are first required to attend a one time, hour long orientation at the Aquarium. During this orientation, you'll learn more about the live blue Service Corps, the kinds of projects you'll be doing, and what to expect. It's also a great chance to meet other volunteers! After attending the orientation you'll be able to sign up for any and all live blue Service Corps projects posted on serve.neaq.org/calendar. *On 4/27/19, an orientation will be held after the Neponset River Cleanup on Riverside Ave. You can attend the cleanup before the orientation, then stick around to learn how to stay involved!* [Note that if you are interested in a more committed program, namely those in animal care and education, please visit serve.neaq.org/ClassicCorps to read about the application process]

Join us for Stewardship Saturday on the Boston Harbor Islands! We will be working with the National Park Service to conduct clean-ups, remove invasive species, and complete other beautification projects. Each project takes place on a different island and will involve a different set of work. Tools and gloves will be provided, but be prepared with sturdy shoes, long sleeves and pants to protect from thorns and poison ivy, and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. The boat for these projects leaves precisely at 9am. The departure site varies between projects, so keep an eye on your e-mail for details. Here are some pictures of some of our volunteers at past Stewardship Saturdays!!

Speak for the Trees Boston is a new nonprofit aiming to map every street tree in the city. They need your voice and environmental passion! Urban trees provide many benefits to residents: from cleaner air and water to cooler temperatures and more livable neighborhoods. In this training session, volunteers will learn how to identify common street trees and how to collect data using a smartphone app (or physical data sheet if necessary). This information will help us map our urban forest. Note that attendance at Part 1 is not required; future trainings will be offered to attendees.

At the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, we apply innovative, science-based solutions to combat the unprecedented threat to our oceans represented by climate change and other human activities. We’re saving species, habitats, and strengthening the overall health of our oceans. We combine pioneering marine conservation research with strategic partnerships, and the formidable convening power of the New England Aquarium to combat the unprecedented impacts of human activities on our oceans. For decades, our scientists have been actively working to protect ecosystems from human impacts and conserve threatened animals and habitats. Our conservation and research projects span the globe, from protecting the North Atlantic right whale in New England to helping the next generation of conservation leaders in the developing world. Specifically, the Marine Conservation Action Fund Team’s (part of the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life) mission is to protect and promote ocean biodiversity through small-scale, time sensitive, community based programs and to foster the long-term success of conservation leaders as agents for the ocean. The Marine Conservation Leadership aims to Invest and Inspire Marine Conservation Leaders through our Fellows Program. MCAF aims to ensure these conservation leaders have the financial and professional support they need to be successful. Position Summary: The Marine Conservation Action Fund is seeking a volunteer to assist in Evening lectures and weekend events relating to the Spring MCAF Fellow’s visit and Fall MCAF Summit. The position will also include occasional social media assistance (tweeting and blogging), and any other additional light administrative assistance on nights and weekends relating to the MCAF Summit in the Fall, per direction of MCAF Program Officer and Chair. The volunteer’s primary projects would be to Attend MCAF Lectures and assisting coordination of evening and weekend events for Spring MCAF Fellow visit and Fall MCAF Summit. Volunteer will also assist in occasional social media tweets and posts requested by MCAF Program Officer and Chair. On occasion Volunteer maybe be required to assist in light administrative duties on nights and weekends. Duties/Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Skills/Qualifications: Include any specific degree or course requirements, specific skills or experience, and any preferred characteristics (work independently, problem solving, etc.) We seek a volunteer who is good at prioritizing tasks, a quick learner, independent but works well in a team environment, excellent writing skills, and project management. Volunteer must have event coordination skills and social media posting skills, and be familiar with the MCAF Program. Other necessary skills include: proficiency in Microsoft Excel, ability to multi-task, flexible, and excellent communication skills.