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Volunteer with the Estuary Program

 

Help keep Morro Bay clean to ensure a great life for all of us! The Estuary Program offers different volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Some opportunities require an ongoing commitment while others are one-time events.

 

Please read all the details and fill out the form below. Estuary Program staff will review the information you provide and contact you.

    Full Name

    (required)

    Phone Number (required)

    Email (required)

    City of Residence (required)

     

    Over the age of 18?

    (required)

     


    Activities of Interest  (required — check up to three)

    Please be sure to note the frequency, commitment, and requirements for each volunteer activity you choose.


     
     

    CREEK WATER QUALITY MONITORING  

    Use test kits and meters to monitor water quality parameters in local creeks that empty into the estuary. Following training with program staff, teams of two volunteers independently monitor one or two creek sites.

       Frequency — two hours per month, year-round
       Commitment — six-month minimum
       Requirements — use of personal vehicle and limited hiking

    Creek Water Quality Monitoring occurs only on weekdays during office hours. This position opens intermittently.


     
     

    DAWN PATROL  

    Monitor oxygen, temperature, and salinity levels in the estuary during the early morning hours via kayak.

       Frequency — two hours per month, year-round
       Commitment — six-month minimum
       Requirements — transportation and use of personal kayak

    This position opens intermittently.


     
     

    BACTERIA MONITORING  

    Collect water samples in the field and conduct a test for bacteria in the lab. Attend staff-conducted training in collection and processing using sterile technique.

       Frequency — two to three hours per month, year-round
       Commitment — six-month minimum
       Requirements — flexibility with scheduling, transportation, and limited hiking

    This position opens intermittently.


     
     

    EELGRASS RESTORATION & MONITORING

    Assist Estuary Program staff with collecting and transplanting eelgrass, or monitoring existing eelgrass plots.

       Frequency — varies depending on overall restoration and monitoring plans as well as tides, weather, and other conditions.
       Commitment — varies
       Requirements — transportation; ability to stand, walk, and kneel in mud and on uneven terrain; kayaking ability required for certain tasks.

    This position opens intermittently.


     
     

    BIOASSESSMENT  

    Hike up local streams to collect stream-bottom invertebrates and assess fish and riparian habitat features. Learn water quality and stream surveying techniques. Attend training with staff.

       Frequency — one training session followed by several monitoring sessions in the spring
       Commitment — four hours per site during spring season
       Requirements — availability to monitor at least one site following training, limited hiking (rough terrain at some sites)

    We need volunteers for this monitoring effort each spring. Please check this box to be added to the interest list and we will follow up with more details as the season approaches.


     
     

    SPECIAL EVENT ASSISTANCE  

    Be a program representative and lend a hand at local events put on by the Estuary Program or partner organizations throughout the year.


     
     

    ESTUARY NATURE CENTER DOCENT  

    Give educational demonstrations and short lessons related to the estuary and watershed to Estuary Nature Center visitors of all ages. Participate in an initial three-hour training session, lesson planning and review process, and occasional follow-up trainings (no more than three per year). Prior teaching experience or other work with kids, families, and the public is a plus for this position.

       Frequency — At least one program session per month. Times and days of the week may vary. Some planning and practice time at home.
       Commitment — three-month minimum, preferably during the summer months
       Requirements — transportation to the Nature Center

     
     

    COASTAL CLEANUP DAY  

    An annual event where volunteers join together to remove trash and recyclables from beaches, streams, and waterways worldwide. Occurs in the morning on the third Saturday of September. The Estuary Program hosts a cleanup on the Morro Bay sandspit and registration is limited based on boat capacity. (Typically around 20 people.) Please let us know if you prefer to paddle over to the cleanup site using your own kayak or paddleboard. We will add you to an interest list and send details in August.
     
     

    VOLUNTEER PHOTOGRAPHER  

    The Estuary Program is always looking for beautiful, high-resolution photographs of local plants and wildlife, the bay and watershed, and people recreating responsibly on and around the bay. We use these photographs for our website, blog, print materials, and other publications. If you are interested in sharing your photographs for use, please check this box. We give credit to our volunteer photographers when we use their work.
     


     

    What days and times are you typically available?


     

    Tell us about yourself.

    Knowing more about you will help us match you with the right volunteer opportunity.


     

    Please list other special skills you’d like to share with the Estuary Program.

    The Estuary Program frequently needs help from writers, graphic designers, photographers, fundraisers, performers, teachers, and others.


    Opportunities with our Partner Organizations

    Many of our partners need volunteer help, too. Here are some other volunteer opportunities around the bay.

     

    Small Wilderness Area Preservation (SWAP) and Elfin Forest Work Parties – First Saturday Work Parties are generally held from nine to noon on the first Saturday of each month. Visit SWAP’s website for more info and to contact organizers.

     

    Morro Coast Audubon Society needs volunteers at the Sweet Springs Preserve and for the Christmas Bird count, among other events. The Audubon Society provides a list of contacts for their different volunteer opportunities on their website.

     

    Eco Rotary Club of Morro Bay hosts a monthly cleanup of Bayshore Bluffs Park, and provides other volunteer opportunities from time to time. Visit Eco Rotary’s Facebook page or check out their website for a calendar of club events.

     

    The Central Coast State Parks Association to inform visitors about natural and cultural aspects of the Central Coast. Volunteer locations include the Morro Bay Natural History Museum. Visit Central Coast State Parks Association’s docent program webpage.

     

    Central Coast Concerned Mountain Bikers (CCCMB) consistently holds work parties across the watershed to maintain, design, and build sustainable biking trails. Visit CCCMB’s website to connect with other bikers and help keep up Central Coast  trails.

     

    Morro Bay in Bloom is part a nationwide network that encourages civic beautification. This local chapter strives to make Morro Bay a better place with regular two-hour cleanups and special projects to engage with the community. Check out Morro Bay in Bloom’s volunteer page to sign up for a two-hour gardening session.

     

    San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden strives to show the diverse native plant life that thrives in the county’s Mediterranean climate, and to highlight sustainable gardening practices. SLO Botanical Garden lists a variety of volunteer opportunities on their website.

     

    The Central Coast Aquarium is located slightly south on Avila Beach, however they share their knowledge of marine science across the Central Coast. Find out how you can apply your skills to educate others about aquatic life and our role as neighbors to the ocean.

     

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    Morro Bay National Estuary Program brings together citizens, local governments, non-profits, agencies, and landowners to protect and restore the Morro Bay estuary.

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    Protecting and Restoring the Morro Bay Estuary.
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