Volunteer Opportunity
Land Stewards

Position Description:

Land Stewards will regularly monitor and maintain designated HCT properties as detailed below. Maintenance activities will be conducted in consultation with HCT Outreach & Stewardship Coordinator. Those who are less comfortable with physical maintenance activities may act solely as property monitors.

Volunteer Responsibilities:

1. Walk designated property on a monthly basis either by trail, if any, or boundaries as much as possible, taking note of stewardship concerns (encroachment, dumping/littering, vandalism, non-native invasive plant species, etc.).
2. Perform basic trail and sign maintenance (where applicable), as needed using lopping shears, hand/bow saws or other hand tools.
3. If needed, remove non-native invasive plant species.
4. Clear trails of fallen debris and remove trash.
5. If needed, collect baseline photos of the designated property annually (digital camera provided by HCT)
6. Submit property monitoring reports to HCT Outreach & Stewardship coordinator.

Optional Responsibilities:

1. Note and report observations of wildlife and plant communities.
2. Participation in HCT special events or projects such as clean-ups, large-scale invasive species removal, etc.
3. Recruitment of additional HCT volunteers

Volunteer Qualifications:

1. Interest in working outdoors and a commitment to conservation.
2. Willingness and enthusiasm in taking the responsibility of monitoring and maintaining a nearby HCT property.
3. Reliable, monthly visits to the designated property and reporting of activities.
4. General knowledge of local flora and fauna is helpful but not required.

Training Provided:

1. Basic invasive plant identification and removal techniques.
2. Individual orientation to introduce the volunteer to his/her HCT property and associated responsibilities.

Commitment:

Varies greatly according to individual property size and needs. Monitoring and maintaining a property could only take a few hours or less each month to accommodate your schedule.

Benefits:

1. Satisfaction of directly participating in local conservation and preservation efforts.
2. Introduction to principles of property stewardship, plant identification, and invasive plant species removal.

Contact:

Ryan Mann, Outreach & Stewardship Coordinator Phone: 508-432-3997 Email: hctryan@cape.com