Creating Urban Riparian Buffers (CURB)Contact: Tara Patten, PO Box 1375, Walla Walla, WA 99362, (509) 529-3543, taramagipatten@gmail.com, http://www.wwccd.net/curb.html
Mission: Habitat restoration, outreach, and education for the restoration of salmon populations in the tri-state area.
Volunteer Opportunities: planting, weed pulling, collecting plant material (cuttings for propagation).
Required Skills: willingness to dig and use hand tools, work on hands & knees, get dirty hands
Skills Learned: Stream restoration planting techniques.
Training: Volunteers are oriented and trained at the project. Usually takes 15-30 minutes, depending on the depth of orientation desired (longer for educational opportunities) and on the skills required that day (e.g. planting technique for the type of plant material available). Demonstrations may be part of the training.
Volunteer Types:
Contact: Carly Rapp, 508 E. Main St., Walla Walla, WA 99362, (509) 529-7348, info@dailymarket.coop, www.dailymarket.coop
Mission: Daily Market Cooperative is a member-owned grocery store that increases the Walla Walla Valley’s access to local, healthy, and sustainable products.
Volunteer Opportunities: event planning, applied research projects, community outreach, creation of published materials
Required Skills: computer literacy, initiative-taking, friendly, outgoing, cooperative-minded
Skills Learned: literacy in local food issues, computer skills, research skills, event planning skills, office skills, "customer service" attitude
Training: Regular office volunteers go through two orientations and then have on-the-job training. Training workshop appointments can be timed to accommodate volunteers' schedules. Other volunteer roles, such as tabling at big events, require attending a training (approximately 1/2 hour) ahead of the event.
Contact: Judith Johnson, 209 N. Clinton St., Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-529-8009, jsj@bmi.net, www.kooskooskiecommons.org
Mission: To involve people in natural resources in the landscape they inhabit through cultural activities, including, story telling, experiential education, collaborative conversations, celebrations and the arts.
Volunteer Opportunities: Stream riparian and wetland restoration through native plantings, volunteer recruitment, writing stories and organization and outreach for environmental films. Restoration including removing blackberries and other non-native vegetation and planting native plants, stream clean up, GIS mapping and monitoring.
Required Skills: Enthusiasm and a passion for healthy streams and interesting stories.
Skills Learned: Gain knowledge about properly functioning streams and wetlands and native plants. Gain knowledge about outreach strategies and environmental films.
Training: Volunteers are usually instructed on the spot when they show up for restoration projects. Other opportunities involve regular meetings and trainings as a part of the project.
Contact: Laura Maier, Sue Osterman, 930 Bonnie Brae, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-525-1079, 509-525-9754, maierjj@whitman.edu
Mission: To appreciate, enjoy, study and preserve the environment for native plants.
Volunteer Opportunities: Outdoor work, maintaining native plants--weeding for a sustainable environment!
Required Skills: Willingness to get dirty.
Skills Learned: long-range appreciation for the slow process of protecting and preserving the environment
Training: on the spot
Contact: Jenna Bicknell, Water & Environmental Center, Walla Walla Community College, 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA 99362 (509) 522-4721, info@sustainablelivingcenter.com, www.sustainablelivingcenter.com
Mission: Helping our region become ecologically and economically self-sustainable through education and partnerships.
Volunteer Opportunities: Staffing the Resource Center once per week for 2-5 hours. Answering visitor questions, researching answers, returning inquiries by phone, and organizing materials. Website interactive partner. Add new information to our website, blog about your favorite topics, and help answer online queries.
Required Skills: Strong communication, ability to work with others, dependability, and consistency.
Skills Learned: Information collection and dissemination. Blogging and website development. Communicating to the public about their choices related to sustainability, without bias or judgment.
Training: On an individual basis for special projects, as a group for special events prior to the event
Volunteer Types:
Contact: Brian Burns, PO Box 1375, Walla Walla, WA 99362,509-529-3543, tssbb@charterinternet.com, www.tristatesteelheaders.com
Mission: The Tri-State Steelheaders Fisheries Enhancement Group, by completing habitat enhancement projects, crafting coalitions with conservation organizations, conducting educational outreach and securing volunteer assistance will perpetuate salmonid populations and create measureable increases in their habitat in southeastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and north central Idaho.
Volunteer Opportunities: Riparian restoration, non-native vegetation removal and native planting, salmon habitat restoration, and other habitat enhancement projects.
Required Skills: Ability to lift heavy objects, work in challenging environments, and are physically fit enough to complete labor intensive work. We look for self motivated individuals who follow directions with minimal supervision. Skills are not extremely important, but ability to closely follow instructions is important in handling live plant material and in using hand tools for safety reasons.
Skills Learned: The volunteers should go away with an understanding of the goals of the project. These include education on riparian restoration, native plants, watershed health, and understanding of plants and planting techniques.
Training: Training and orientation is completed on site prior to work. Oversight continues throughout the event.
Contact: Clare Carson, PO Box 1222, Walla Walla WA 99362, 522-0399, ww2020@charter.net, www.ww2020.org
Mission: Walla Walla 2020 is a civic group whose purposes are to envision, plan for, and undertake projects to help realize a livable community in the Walla Walla area now and for the future. Since our founding in 1988, we have been promoting practices and systems which will protect and enhance our quality of life.
Volunteer Opportunities: Maintenance of planting areas, Potential assistance in preparation of community sustainability plan, Occasional interns, occasional work projects.
Required Skills: Interest, commitment, reliability
Skills Learned: Varies with project; perspective on community activism
Training: Ad hoc per project
Volunteer Types:
Contact: Sandra Cannon, 803 Valencia, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-525-8849, cannon@ecopurchasing.com
Mission: Walla Walla Area Resource Conservation Committe works with government agencies, private entities, and the public to promote sustainability (ecological, equitable, economical) in the community.
Volunteer Opportunities: Help with environmental projects, such as green construction workshops, environmental infomercials, collecting junk cars and tires. Volunteers will work on various projects, for which the organization has an updated list.
Required Skills: Ability to do accurate fact finding, meet with community organizations, take initiative, and be enthusiastic.
Skills Learned: Understanding of environmental issue they are working on, taking a project from beginning to end, learning resources in the community for fact finding.
Training: At the beginning of the project and ongoing with the mentor of the project.
Volunteer Types:
Contact: Debbie Moberg-Williams, Director, 328 West Poplar, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-524-2685, dmoberg@wsu.edu, http://wallawalla.wsu.edu/
Mission: WSU Extension engages people, organizations, and communities to advance economic well-being and quality of life by connecting them to the knowledge base of the university and by fostering inquiry, learning, and the application of research.
Volunteer Opportunities: An adult may train and volunteer as WSU Extension master gardener or master food preserver.
Required Skills: Volunteers should be respectful and cooperative, have a positive attitude, and be willing to provide leadership and guidance to youth or others. specific skills or talents that will enhance the quality of our programs is useful.
Skills Learned: Volunteers will have the opportunity for training and access to educational information. Volunteers will share interests with others, increase public relations skills, make useful contacts, and provide a benefit to their community. Volunteers will increase leadership ability, organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Training: Prospective master gardeners particpate in an extensive training program which is offered in the spring each year.
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