Opportunities From: New Hampshire's Volunteer Hub

Do you have experience working in education, agricultural programs, special education, or garden-to-table demonstrations? Would like to give back to your community to help Prescott Farm enhance our current programs? Then the Education Compass Advisory Team is the right fit for you! 

The Education Compass Advisory Team (CAT) includes community members who share a commitment to Prescott Farm’s mission and volunteer their time and expertise in an advisory capacity.  The team is primarily tasked with helping to navigate a sustainable future for Prescott Farm by focusing on enhancing our current programs and creating new educational opportunities for the community all while staying on mission. Education CAT members are trusted advisors to Prescott Farm and ambassadors of Prescott Farm in the greater Lakes Region community. Team members are expected to provide professional expertise, insights, and guidance to the organization. In addition, members may connect community members and businesses to the work of the organization to help raise visibility and build ongoing support for Prescott Farm’s programs.

The current goals of the Education CAT include:

·       Creating more program opportunities

·       Making our programs more accessible

·       Being practice participants for our field trip programs

·       Putting up new wayfinding and educational signage around the property

Team members may participate in any or all the following ways to help attain the educational goals of Prescott Farm, depending on interest, expertise, and comfort level:

·       Field Trips:

o   Participate in training for new field teachers and provide constructive feedback.

o   Analyze data from school field trip participants about their reasons for choosing Prescott Farm for their field trip, what time of the year is best for field trips, and other relevant data determined by the Camp and School-Age Programs Director.

·       Signage:

o   Participate in wayfinding and interpretive signage planning and identifying signage needs and opportunities.

·       Programs:

o   Identify emerging trends or bring information about successful programs offered at other Nature Centers that are on mission for Prescott Farm.

o   Create and help organize new community programs. This may include but is not limited to a Speaker Series and a Book Club.

§  Speaker Series: Tasks may include creating a list of topics that are on mission and identifying experts on the topic who might be invited to Prescott Farm.

§  Book Club: Tasks may include recruiting new members to join, selecting fiction/nonfiction books on mission for the club to read and discuss, and developing discussion questions for book club meetings.

·       Accessibility:

o   Develop strategies for making Field Trips, Community Connection, Camp, and Preschool Programs accessible to everyone at Prescott Farm.

 Time Needed:

Commitment: 2 years

Time Required:

·       Initial Discovery Tour (if not yet attended) of one hour.

·       One-hour orientation and training

·       Bi-monthly (6 per year) team meetings of 1-2 hours

·       Additional volunteer projects may require additional time.

To help ensure our local Eastern Bluebirds have safe, clean homes when they return next spring or for winter roosting, we need to clean out and maintain our bluebird trail boxes. Volunteers will work in small teams to walk our bluebird trail and prep the birdhouses for winter. Tasks include: removing old nests, scrubbing the interior of the box, checking for any needed repairs, and documenting any interesting finds.

Wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes and appropriate clothing for walking through a field (long pants and layers appropriate for the weather). Bring any bug screen or sunscreen along with water and snacks! Everything else needed will be provided.

A collaborative, free family-friendly event where community members work together to identify as many species of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as possible at Prescott Farm in one day. These events function as a "snapshot" of local biodiversity, helping to map species and inform conservation efforts.

We will be exploring the different habitats, as identified in our Forest Management Plan, that Prescott Farm has to offer and then identifying as many species as possible within that habitat. The habitats we will be looking at on our property are: Fields, Forest, and Wetland.

To do this we will use iNaturalist and take photos of everything we see. After each session, we will upload them all to iNaturalist at one time as a group. Prior experience using iNaturalist is not required. We will also be hosting a training during this event.

The event is from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. You can come whenever and stay as long as you want. Here is the tentative schedule, if you want to attend for a specific habitat type.

Dress in layers for the weather. A mobile device with a camera to use iNaturalist. Close-toed shoes, sunscreen, hat, bug spray. Water, snacks, and a lunch if you plan to be here the whole day!

Description: The Harvest Festival is a free annual event held at Prescott Farm that aims to attract the local community to learn more about Prescott Farm and enjoy the property. Harvest Festivals volunteers are responsible for the activities assigned to them with regard to the yearly Harvest Festival.

Tasks and Responsibilities: Tasks and duties as assigned. We will work to match you with an opportunity that aligns with your goals.

Qualifications: Some special skills may be necessary depending on the position

Safety Considerations: While interacting with the public it is important to dress appropriately to represent Prescott Farm in the best light and conduct yourself professionally.

Positions Available:

Description: Participate in participatory science here at Prescott Farm through NestWatch. This project is led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that tracks the reproductive biology of birds. Monitor and track nesting occurrences, clutch sizes, hatching success, and the number of surviving fledglings to help researchers understand how environmental changes and habitat loss affect breeding bird populations. 

Qualifications:

Training: Attend a NestWatch training provided by either NH Audubon or the Volunteer Coordinator. 

Safety: Wear appropriate clothing for walking in tall grass outside, long pants and sleeves, bug spray, sunscreen, and bring water!

Skills Days: