Volunteer

Volunteer Katie Arey giving a demonstration.
Courtesy of GBNERR

The Great Bay Discovery Center relies on its volunteers to help implement the school and summer programs, staff the Center, work on events, and keep the grounds and gardens looking great. Volunteers range in age from teens to folks in their 80's and come with varied backgrounds and interests.

At the Center there are two main opportunities for volunteering; the Education Program and the Exhibit Room. Our volunteer educators take small groups of school children to various stops inside the buildings and on the grounds for lessons on cultural history in the fall and natural history in the spring. There is one day of required training and shadowing the program two or three times before taking a group out on one's own. The Exhibit Room volunteers meet and greet visitors, monitor the touch tank, answer the phone, take care of the small store and help the staff open and close the building. New volunteers are paired with more experienced volunteers or staff to learn about the Exhibit Room.

We also use volunteers to help us monitor the many properties within the Reserve. As Land Stewards, volunteers help identify invasive species, new wildlife habitats, monitor public use on the properties and identify maintenance issues.

The Center honors its volunteers with a recognition dinner in the fall, a summer cookout with kayak trip and small gifts of our appreciation. All our programs and events including most workshops are open to our volunteers. For more information about becoming a volunteer, please email the Volunteer Coordinator, Sheila Roberge, at sheila.roberge@wildlife.nh.gov or call the Center at 603-778-0015.