Volunteer Opportunities

Adopt-a-Loop – Texas Parks & Wildlife Department sponsors this project on inaturalist and eBird to track wildlife adn plants at designated sites on the Great Texas Wildlife Trails in our area (https//tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wildlife/wildlife-trails/).  Photos must be uploaded to inaturalist and added to this project.  eBird checklist # must be included in the description when reporting hours.  The location and location number of the site must be included on inaturalist (Project: GTWT Adopt-a-Loop) and in eBird descriptions when reporting hours.  Project leader is Penny Miller.
Adopt-a-Highway – the Chapter has adopted a section of highway beside Lake Arrowhead State Park.  Join a group for a day of cleaning, or sign up to clean a section on your own.  Lynn Seman is the project leader.  Clean ups are done four times a year.
Monthly Bird Hike at Lake Arrowhead State Park. Join members as we observe the birds around Lake Arrowhead.  We are sometimes joined by people who are camping at the park.  Usually a two-hour hike on level groud.
Texas Quail Index – restricted project.  You must get permission to join the project from the project leader (Larry Snyder).  Record Bobwhite numbers during the spring and summer.  Game cameras and predator data are used.
BioBlitz – events include the City Nature Challenge (https//citynaturechallenge.org/), Texas Pollinator Bioblitz, and other ones that are approved by the Chapter that will be posted throughout the year. This project uses iNaturalist.
COCORAHS – this project requires training and set up. Be part of a nationwide project, reporting rain, hail, snow or no percipitaion.  Information from this project is used by the National Weather Service, NOAA and local entities.  Information from this project is used to create the National Drought Maps, among other ways. You must have a designated site, official rain gauge, and report your data to a database for it to count as volunteer time.  Find out more at http://www.cocorahs.org/application.aspx).  You can only report one hour of volunteer time per month for this project.
Join project leader, Lynn Seman as she conducts Texas Horned Lizard Surveys – starting in March and continuing through September.  Involves going on field trips to count Texas Horned Lizard to report to TPWD. 
Monarch Watch/Tagging – This project is in late September/early October.  Watch for dates and times in emails, chapter calendar, or announcements at August and September Chapter meetings.  Laura Gillis is project manager.
Project Feeder Watch – Observe and report birds at your feeder for two days a week from November and April. Data is reported to a website (https://feederwatch.org).  Fee required to participate.
The Great Sunflower Project – counting pollinators at a designated site on a particular flower.  It does not need to be a sunflower.  Enter data on their website (https://greatsunflower.org/quickguide).
Texas Stream Team Water Testing – conduct water quality testing at three specific sites: 1) Lake Wichita/Lucy Park – project leader is Carl Brown;  
   

River Bend Nature Center is a small nature center located within Lucy Park, in Wichita Falls whose mission is to educate people about nature. They host many programs for youth in the area. Volunteer opportunities for the Butterfly Conservatory, along the trail, and helping educate local students.  Contact River Bend to schedule docent training at info@riverbendnaturecenter.org

Wild Bird Rescue Inc. cares for orphaned and injured birds.  Their goal is the return them to the wild.  Birds that are unable to be released are used as Avian Ambassadors, helping to education the public on the plight of wild birds species.  Opportunities included caring for the birds, doing laundry and other housework, maintaining the grounds.  Please contact them at http://www.wildbirdrescueinc.org.

Lake Arrowhead State Park is located 20 minutes SE of Wichita Falls, in Clay County. Volunteer opportunities include trail maintenance, assisting park rangers with public events, and more.  https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lake-arrowhead

Graham Public Library and Prairie Garden

Sitting on a large lot, the Graham Public Library is in the process of recreating the prairie that once covered the area.  Volunteers will be needed to help plant and maintain the native plants that will be added in this restoration. libraryofgrahamtx.org 

Whiteside Museum of Natural History, located in Seymour, Baylor County, Texas,  is a small museum specializes in Permian Era fossils and North Texas Natural History. Not only do they exhibit fossils of such prehistoric creatures as Dimetrodon and Seymouria, but they also excavate the fossils from nearby fossil beds. This site is one of the few Permian fossil beds and many of the fossils found in this area had been shipped to many of the large museums in the East.  Finally, the fossils are staying local, where they can be viewed and learned about by the local population.  Many volunteer opportunities, including cleaning the fossils recovered.                          www.wmnh.org

Copper Breaks State Park is situated in the scenic and rugged redland country south of Quanah, Texas in Hardeman County, this remote state park is listed as an International Dark Sky Park.  Along with the standard state park activities, this park hosts part of the Official State of Texas Longhorn herd. 
3Rivers Ranch TTC and Astronomy Campus is located west of Crowell, TX and is a dark sky location.  They also house several large telescopes, with classrooms, nature trails and a beaver pond. They offer onsite facilities for camping, as well as individual cabins and bunkhouses.  Volunteers are needed for various projects, as well as student tours/classes.  Dark Sky programs are also presented.  You must have prior permission to visit this facility.