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Volunteer Opportunities
Special Projects – Hot Opportunities – Workdays
Whether you can volunteer on weekdays or weekends, have a lot of time to give or just a little, the perfect volunteer opportunity is waiting for you! Look below to discover all the ways you can get involved in preserving your local natural areas. For more information on any of the projects, call (863) 699-3742 or e-mail Lynne.Flannery@MyFWC.com.
If you’ve already joined our volunteer team, you can signup for any of the opportunities listed below either on-line or you can print (pdf 60kb) the signup sheet and mail it to the address listed on the sheet.
If you haven’t joined our team but are interested in volunteering, please take a moment to join now.
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SPECIAL PROJECTS
Preserve StewardJoin our crew of preserve stewards and make a significant and rewarding contribution to the Lake Wales Ridge. This project is excellent for individuals or couples that are able to become caretakers of the land. Stewards do everything from monitor wildlife to trail work to trash removal. Steward positions are available all over Polk and Highlands counties with many different agencies. |
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| Office WizardPreserving our environment involves lots of indoor work too! Many offices along the Ridge can use a hand with entering data, answering phones, filing, writing newsletters and much more. This is a perfect project for anyone that appreciates the outdoors, yet prefers to stay indoors. |
HOT OPPORTUNITIES
Make an additional commitment to conservation and get involved with one of these unique opportunities. These projects may be short term or ongoing depending on the needs of the partnering agency. This is a great way to learn more about the Lake Wales Ridge, while helping out a specific protected area.
Education Assistant
Help the Education Department at Archbold Biological Station with school field trips, guided tours, summer camp and more. Training is provided and times are variable. No prior experience is necessary.
Bat Box Builders
Construct houses for these insect munching, winged mammals for FWC properties in Lake Placid.
Boardwalk Repair
Become part of the crew to reconstruct a 100-foot section of a boardwalk at the Avon Park Air Force Range.
Greenhouse Gardeners
Assist staff at the FWC Royce Unit in their new greenhouse venture slated to propagate scrub plants.
Administrative Support
Lend the office staff at Highlands Hammock Stat Park a hand with a variety of administrative tasks.
WORKDAYS
Become a member of our core crew by joining us at our next Ridge Ranger workday. Most workdays are held Saturday mornings until lunch time. With a large diversity of projects and locations, one is sure to spark your interest!
September | October |
November | December |
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Members of a 4-H group assemble a bat box. |
September 2007
Saturday, September 8
8 AM – FWC Carter Creek, northeast Sebring — remove trash from this newly fenced preserve
Saturday, September 15
8 AM – Polk County’s SUMICA, about 13 miles east of Lake Wales — collect seeds for their new greenhouse
Saturday, September 22
8 AM – Historic Bok Sanctuary — stewardship
Saturday, September 29
8 AM – Polk County’s SUMICA, about 13 miles east of Lake Wales — collect seeds for their new greenhouse
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Historic arched bridge (1922) at Mackay Gardens. |
October 2007
Saturday, October 6
8 AM - Trash/Debris Removal
Carter Creek tract of the Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge in Sebring
Saturday, October 13
8 AM - Stewardship
Historic Bok Sanctuary in Lake Wales
Saturday, October 20
8 AM – Greenhouse Work
FWC Royce Unit in Lake Placid
Saturday, October 20
8 AM - Trail Marking & Fence Repair
Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek State Preserve near the town of Lake Hamilton
Saturday, October 27
8 AM - Brush Removal/Fire Line Maintenance
TNC’s Saddle Blanket Scrub Preserve between Avon Park and Frostproof
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Marilyn Blair removes tires from |
November 2007
Saturday, November 3
8 AM to 4 PM - Civilian Conservation Corps Festival
Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring. Volunteers needed to help promote the Ridge Rangers at a booth in two to four hour shifts.
Saturday, November 10
9 AM - Trash Removal
Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Jack Creek in Lake Placid
Saturday, November 10
9 AM - Trail Marking
Lake Kissimmee State Park near Lake Wales.
Saturday, November 17
9 AM – Bat Box Hanging
FWC Royce Unit in Lake Placid
Saturday, November 17
9 AM - Trash/Debris Removal
Flamingo Villas tract of the Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge in Sebring
December 2007
Saturday, December 1
9 AM to 3:30 PM - Kissimmee River Eco-tour and Butterfly Garden Workday
Riverwoods Field Lab in Lorida. See below or visit MyFWC.com/Quarterlyfeature for details. To learn more about Riverwoods visit: riverwoods.ces.fau.edu/.
Saturday, December 8
9 AM - Trash Removal
The Lake Wales Ridge State Forest: Arbuckle Tract in Frostproof
Saturday, December 15
9 AM - Fencing Removal
FWC Royce Unit in Lake Placid
Saturday, December 15
8 AM - Stewardship
Historic Bok Sanctuary in Lake Wales