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:
- 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.).
- Perform basic trail and sign maintenance (where applicable), as needed using lopping shears, hand/bow saws or other hand tools.
- If needed, remove non-native invasive plant species.
- Clear trails of fallen debris and remove trash.
- If needed, collect baseline photos of the designated property annually (digital camera provided by HCT)
- Submit property monitoring reports to HCT Outreach & Stewardship coordinator.
Optional Responsibilities:
- Note and report observations of wildlife and plant communities.
- Participation in HCT special events or projects such as clean-ups, large-scale invasive species removal, etc.
- Recruitment of additional HCT volunteers
Volunteer Qualifications:
- Interest in working outdoors and a commitment to conservation.
- Willingness and enthusiasm in taking the responsibility of monitoring and maintaining a nearby HCT property.
- Reliable, monthly visits to the designated property and reporting of activities.
- General knowledge of local flora and fauna is helpful but not required.
Training Provided:
- Basic invasive plant identification and removal techniques.
- 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:
- Satisfaction of directly participating in local conservation and preservation efforts.
- Introduction to principles of property stewardship, plant identification, and invasive plant species removal.
Contact:
Michael Lach, HCT Executive Director
Phone: 508-432-3997
Email: hct@cape.com