Get Involved!

Volunteer Naturalist
Volunteer naturalists give tours to community groups on weekday afternoons and Saturdays. Share your love of nature with children and adults by leading school tours, scout groups, full moon walks and family hikes. Training is available.

Birthday Volunteers
Volunteers are needed on Saturday afternoons to help staff coordinate nature related activities for children’s birthday parties.

Butterfly House Docents
Butterfly House Docents help monitor the butterfly house during operating hours. They greet the public, provide casual interpretation, clarify rules and answer questions. Docents commit to volunteer approximately three hours per month or more if desired, during butterfly season (May through October). Docents staff the House on Saturdays from 10:00 AM ­ 12:30 PM or from 12:30 PM ­ 3:00 PM. Weekday docents are occasionally needed. Docents must complete the Orange County Butterfly training workshop, offered at the Environmental Nature Center or posses similar training or experience. Training includes an overview of frequently asked questions, a description of the host and nectar plants in the ENC’s butterfly house, and the butterflies likely to be found in the House over the coming season. This training already occurred at the end of March 2008. Please call 949-645-8489 for additional information.

Office Volunteer
Office volunteers help staff with mailings and other administrative tasks.

Grounds Volunteer
Grounds volunteers help us weed, water and maintain the trails. If you are interested in assisting on the grounds, please download and fill out the adult or student volunteer application. Students volunteer hours are on Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.. Adults are welcome to call and schedule a volunteer time with our Grounds Coordinator.

Fall Faire Volunteers
Help us plan the next faire, or come out in October and volunteer on the day of the event.

Craft Volunteers
Craft volunteers make nature crafts and donate them for sale in the ENC store or at the Fall Faire. Coordinate a craft workshop here at the ENC for your club or community group.

Being a Junior Naturalist at ENC's Nature Camp Can Fulfill Your Community Service Hours!

The ENC is seeking Junior Naturalists to assist with Nature Camp. Junior Naturalists are responsible, mature individuals who assist our teachers and set a good example for our young campers. They are very important to our summer camp and enrichment programs! Being a Junior Naturalist is a fabulous experience. It looks great on a resume and a college application, and it is also an easy, fun way of earning your community service hours for high school.

You must have completed eighth grade to be eligible to be a Junior Naturalist. If you are interested in this volunteer position, please download an application and return it to the ENC office. Indicate your session preference and availability on the application.

All new Junior Naturalists must come in for a brief 15 minute interview; returning Junior Naturalists are not required to interview. Please call Lori at the ENC office at (949) 645-8489 to schedule your interview date and time.

Consider the ENC for your Community Service Hours or Senior Project!

Student volunteers are welcome to join us on Wednesdays from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM, and Saturdays between 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM (October to June) to weed, water and maintain the trails. No Saturday volunteering will be available in July, August, or September. A Student Volunteer Application must be on file and signed by a parent or guardian. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes and bring a refillable water bottle.

Student volunteers are also needed to staff or help set up for our annual Fall Faire, or make crafts to sell in the ENC store. Call us at 949-645-8489 for more information.

All students must bring a signed release from their parent prior to the first day of volunteering.

The ENC has a rich tradition of supporting Scouting Eagle Projects for the Boy Scouts of America.

If you are interested in pursuing a project at the ENC, please call the office to set up a meeting with ENC Naturalist, Mark Maeseele at 949-645-8489.

2008

Volunteer of the Year!

Susan Russell

Volunteers helped start the ENC and volunteers continue to contribute a significant portion of the skills, time and effort required to run the Center. Yearly, since 1999 the ENC has recognized a volunteer who went above and beyond to support the ENC.

We are very fortunate to have so many volunteers working with us to help us meet our mission to provide quality education through hands-on experience with nature. It is difficult to single out a single person for this honor. We truly appreciate the effort of all of our hard working volunteers. We hope that by choosing one volunteer, perhaps as a representative of them all, that all of our volunteers see a little of themselves honored.

Thank you all for your hard work!

Volunteer of the Year roster:

Judy Gielow (1999)
Dan McCarthy (2000)
Austyn Fudge (2001)
Bob and Barbara Shelton (2002)
Mike Krasel (2003)
Marty Colver (2004)
Chris Beecher (2005)
Melinda Seely (2006)
Julia Kerr (2007)