Student Engagement Center

Environment

Kooskooskie Commons

Contact: Judith Johnson, 209 N. Clinton St., Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-529-8009, jsj@bmi.net

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 including stream clean up, removing blackberries and other non-native vegetation, and planting native plants; GIS mapping and monitoring; writing stories; organization and outreach for environmental films.

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.

Volunteer Types:

  • Individuals who can come on a regular basis
  • Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
  • Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
  • Individuals who can earn credit (service-learning) by working with your organization
  • Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis

Native Plant Society

Contact: Laura Maier or 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

Volunteer Types:

  • Individuals who can come on a regular basis
  • Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
  • Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
  • Individuals who can earn credit (service-learning) by working with your organization
  • Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
  • Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

Sustainable Living Center

Contact: Jenna Bicknell, Water & Environmental Center, Walla Walla Community College, 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-524-5228, info@sustainablelivingcenter.com

Mission: We serve as an information center to enable the efficient use of resources today to ensure sufficient resources tomorrow. We do this through education, outreach, and partnerships.

Volunteer Opportunities: There are so many ways to get involved: write an informative article for our magazine, assist with coordinating a workshop, help with grant writing, staff the Builders ReSupply, help with a Builders ReSupply clean-up day, and assist with community or youth education.

Required Skills: Strong communication, understanding of sustainability, ability to work with others, dependability, and consistency.

Skills Learned: Event coordination, journalism, grant writing, sales and community outreach tactics.

Training: On an individual basis for special projects, as a group for special events prior to the event

Volunteer Types:

  • Individuals who can come on a regular basis
  • Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
  • Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
  • Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

Tri-State Steelheaders: Creating Urban Riparian Buffers (CURB) Program

Contact: Tara Patten, PO Box 1375, Walla Walla, WA 99362, (509) 529-3543, tara.patten@tristatesteelheaders.com

Mission: To restore sustainable populations of native salmonids by enhancing habitat, providing public education and promoting recreational angling for future generations. Creating Urban Riparian Buffers (CURB) works to improve water quality and riparian habitat on the creeks that run through Walla Walla and College Place.

Volunteer Opportunities: Installing native plant buffers along urban streams. This usually involves removing non-native vegetation, laying groundcloth, and planting native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.

Required Skills: Interest in clean water and improved wildlife habitat. Willingness to get hands dirty and to complete labor intensive work. Ability to closely follow instructions is important in handling live plant material and to ensure safety while using hand tools.

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: Volunteers are oriented and trained on site prior to work. 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). Oversight continues throughout the event.

Volunteer Types:

  • Individuals who can come on a regular basis
  • Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
  • Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
  • Groups of volunteers who can come on a regular basis
  • Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project

Walla Walla 2020

Contact: Clare Carson, PO Box 1222, Walla Walla WA 99362, 522-0399, ww2020@charter.net

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:

  • Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
  • Individuals who can earn credit (service-learning) by working with your organization
  • Groups of volunteers who can come help out with a big project

Walla Walla Area Resource Conservation Committee

Contact: Sandy Shelin, 1839 Carl Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362, (509) 525-5350, kidshelin@charter.net

Mission: Walla Walla Area Resource Conservation Committee 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. Projects will only occur occasionally.

Required Skills: Ability to do accurate fact finding, meet with community organizations, take initiative, and be enthusiastic.

Skills Learned: Understanding of environmental issues 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, working with the mentor of the project.

Volunteer Types:

  • Individuals who can come on a regular basis
  • Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule

Water & Environmental Center

Contact: Melissa Holecek, 500 Tausick Way, Walla Walla, WA 99362, 509-524-5208, melissa.holecek@wwcc.edu

Mission: The WWCC Water & Environmental Center focuses on collaboration and education for environmental and economic sustainability. WEC facilitates regional and local partnership programs, provides community and K-12 education opportunities, and coordinates the WWCC Watershed Ecology degree program, campus sustainability and "Go Green Club" activities.

Volunteer Opportunities: K-12 and community environmental education, campus sustainability, and riparian restoration

Required Skills: Ability to work well with others and teach people objectively about environmental topics. Previous teaching experience is not required.

Skills Learned: Volunteers should go away with an understanding of how to teach students and adults about environmental topics, as well as a basic understanding of the unique environmental challenges facing our basin.

Training: Training and orientation is completed at the Water & Environmental Center with outreach staff prior to work. Oversight continues throughout the event.

Volunteer Types:

  • Individuals who can come on a regular basis
  • Individuals who can help with a project occasionally when it fits his/her schedule
  • Individuals who can come help out once with a big project
  • Individuals who can earn credit (service-learning) by working with your organization
  • Groups of volunteers who can help out once with a big project