The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is looking for new Volunteer Naturalists for Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and the Highland Center. These volunteers help people connect to the natural world around them by leading educational evening programs and morning nature walks. Volunteer Naturalists also help guests with activity planning, orient them to the facility, and offer advice about hiking trails, outdoor gear, and backcountry safety.

Essential qualifications: the ability to plan and deliver evening programs and nature walks, enthusiasm for learning and sharing about the White Mountains and its natural history or cultural history, and an outgoing, friendly personality. A few program outlines are available for volunteers who aren't quite ready to plan their own evening programs. Additionally, volunteers must be at least 18 years old, be an AMC member (new members welcome!), and pass a criminal background check.

Benefits: Receive free meals and lodging (shared bunkroom), and retail discounts, while volunteering.

Schedule and Time Commitment: Most Volunteer Naturalist stints at Pinkham and Highland are on the weekends, with volunteers typically arriving late afternoon on Friday and departing late morning on Sunday. Local volunteers are welcome to volunteer for single days or half days. We’re looking for volunteers to commit to at least two weekends a year. Ideally, new volunteers will start in summer so that their spring training is still fresh, and then we have volunteer weekends available at the lodges throughout the year. Volunteers should be interested in participating in the Volunteer Naturalist program for at least three years.

*Please note that the date listed on Nature Groupie is a tentative deadline for expressing interest because the volunteer roster may fill up early. The training is in May/June and the actual volunteering dates would be available for weekends starting in late June.

Training: Training includes an in-person training with the exact date TBD (a Saturday or Sunday during the first or second weekend of June). Training also includes a few online sessions in May/June, and those online sessions will be recorded for anyone with a schedule conflict.

Some volunteer roles fill up early, so please reach out now if you are interested.