About Nature Groupie

Nature Groupie Mountains and Mission Statement

For Volunteers:

We make it easy to volunteer for nature. Over 200 conservation organizations in New England post their volunteer experiences on our calendar.

For Partners:


volunteers carry 20ft long pine pole

Our History

Nature Groupie started as a collaborative project between the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension and The Stewardship Network (TSN) in the Great Lakes. Launched as “The Stewardship Network: New England” in 2013, we successfully partnered with TSN to adapt their model of collaborative stewardship, volunteer networking, and enhanced technology to the unique needs of New England partners and volunteers.

During our startup phase, UNH Extension raised over $680,000 in grant support for the project from University of New Hampshire, the US Forest Service, the National Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Science Foundation, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Northeast Utilities Service Company, National Park Service NE Region Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program.

In 2016, we researched how and why our conservation partners valued the network, sharing what we learned in What Our Partners Say.

In 2017, we launched The Compass, a free quarterly e-newsletter providing in-depth content navigating the world of stewardship, citizen science, and volunteers.

In 2018, after four years of learning from partners and volunteers about their experiences, we changed our name to Nature Groupie to capture the energy, connection, and spirit of volunteering for nature of our New England network. 

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