Volunteering Works

Invasive Species Removal

Volunteering is the HEART of HeartLands Conservancy

There are several ways to volunteer with HeartLands Conservancy. From individual, self-paced commitments to attending large stewardship days, HLC has ways for everyone to get involved. HLC is always seeking individuals with unique skills, interests, and expertise to help our organization with various conservation efforts. We have many volunteer opportunities that span a variety of interests, so there is something for everyone! You can apply to volunteer via the application on our website at https://heartlandsconservancy.org/volunteer/. People with specific passions or skills interested in volunteering with HLC are encouraged to contact Brittany Schweiger, Conservation Project Coordinator, to find the best way to contribute and share their passion with others at 618-566-4451 ex. 25 or brittany.schweiger@heartlandsconservancy.org.

Some specific volunteer areas that HLC is seeking include: Chainsaw Operators • Licensed Pesticide Applicators • Prescribed Fire Experience Arborists • Birders • Botanists • Entomologists • Horticulturists • Wildlife Biologists Conservation Easement Monitoring Experience

The overall goal of HeartLands Conservancy’s Volunteer Program is to engage people with nature while restoring our natural areas to a healthy, resilient state. In 2022, the program‘s goal is to complete 1,000 volunteer hours in southwestern Illinois. If you want to do something nice for nature in 2022, please consider volunteering for HLC! Visit https://heartlandsconservancy.org/volunteer/ for a complete list of volunteer opportunities.

Steward The most common way to volunteer is by attending volunteer days. These events are held at least monthly and are located throughout the region on public lands and HLC properties. Anyone can attend these events, and they are published on the events calendar online, in newsletters, and sent to the volunteers list. Anyone interested in outdoor stewardship activities such as invasive removal, planting, seeding, litter clean up, and trail maintenance can participate. Stewards preserve and improve the physical and biological components of HLC‘s properties or community nature preserves.

Lead Site Steward Assist in the stewardship of HLC properties by walking the trails and boundaries of our preserves, doing light maintenance during these walks, and reporting on conditions to HLC‘s staff. Volunteers must be willing to submit to a background check.

Hiking Club Leader This position is for the sociable outdoor enthusiast. The bulk of this position includes planning and leading monthly hikes on our preserves. Volunteers must be willing to submit to a background check.

Bluebird Monitor People in this position check on assigned bluebird houses weekly, February through August.

Tree Steward Work with local parks and public works departments to help care for community trees. Must be trained in proper tree planting and care. We ask that Tree Stewards attend six weekly webinars, plant and care for a tree, and 24 hours of volunteer service annually in community forests, parks, and HLC projects such as at the Swansea Exploration Garden.

Master Naturalist or Master Gardener

Assist HLC staff with programs and educational outreach events. Help create educational materials for programs. Events may be indoors or outdoors and involve adults, children, or a mixture of both. Some events are group-oriented, while others involve working with individuals one-on-one, providing extra help to children needing assistance to complete a task. May also lead guided nature hikes. Assists with set-up and clean-up depending on the type of activity. Volunteers must have a certificate of completion for either Master Naturalist or Master Gardener coursework.

Jingle Hike Liaison Help plan the annual Jingle Hike Challenge (Thanksgiving Day - New Year‘s Day).

Centennial Part Honeysuckle Popper

Invasive Species Removal