Sustaining a successful stewardship volunteer program requires diverse skills - field work, leadership, communication, donor relations, human resources, safety compliance, risk management...the list goes on. At the intersection of professional and personal, engaging volunteers takes work and practice, so why is it important and how do you do it well?

At this first of a three-part spring series, join the Nature Groupie team for lessons learned from our work with stewardship volunteers over the last 10 years. We’ll share the organizational benefits that come from strong volunteer programs, how to design an effective program, and cautionary tales of organizations who lack empowered volunteers. You’ll learn about differences in values between younger and older generations and how these can influence volunteer communication and engagement. We’ll share advice on designing predictable volunteer programs, when programs work and why they often fall apart, and what we’ve learned about the demographics and volunteer behaviors of Nature Groupie volunteers over time. Bring your questions for a Q&A session at the end of the session.

About this Series: As the conservation field season begins, are you thinking about ways to engage volunteers in stewardship work this year? Join Malin Clyde and Charlotte Thompson of Extension’s Nature Groupie project for a spring webinar series focused on working effectively with stewardship volunteers. We’ll tackle recruitment, workday best practices and bigger questions about the value and importance of working with volunteers – for your organization and for society. You’ll gain tips for getting the most out of posting on the Nature Groupie website, help for hosting a successful volunteer workday, and practical resources to use in your work – all based on lessons learned from 10 years of the Nature Groupie project at UNH Extension. Got questions about volunteers? Bring ‘em on, as we’ll have time for Q&A at each session.