We have many ways for you to get involved with Friends of Edgewood. Our habitat restoration programs are dedicated to protecting and restoring the natural resources of Edgewood Natural Preserve. Our nature education programs are designed to inspire visitors to learn about and appreciate Edgewood’s outstanding beauty and ecology. We also have opportunities to work behind the scenes in program administration, marketing, technology, and business operations support.
Habitat Restoration Programs
Do you like to be outside in the field, with your hands in the dirt, or helping with natural resource science and research? We have several habitat restoration programs that are always looking for new recruits.
- Weed Warriors work with trained Edgewood naturalists to remove invasive species on Wednesday afternoons and evenings, spring through fall, and on Friday mornings throughout the year.
- Edgewood Farm volunteers help propagate, tend, and collect seeds from native plants grown in our seed beds in the Day Camp area.
- Adopt-a-Highway Road Warriors meet monthly to clean up and beautify the 280 corridor that borders Edgewood Preserve.
- Native Garden volunteers help with weeding, watering, clean-up, and nurturing seedlings in our showcase garden at the Bill and Jean Lane Education Center.
- Bluebird Nest-box Monitors conduct research from early spring through summer, checking Edgewood’s many nest boxes and keeping track of eggs, hatchlings, and fledglings.
- Wildlife Camera Trappers operate under a special permit to place wildlife cameras in hidden areas of the preserve and collect images of the elusive animals that make
Edgewood their home. - Social Trail Mitigation team members survey social-trail damage and identify off-trail activities, then work to stop and repair damage to sensitive habitats.
Nature Education Programs
Do you enjoy working with the public and sharing your love of nature? Or maybe you have a creative bent and would like to help develop interpretive materials. If you have organizational skills, we can use your help with program management. We have many public-facing and behind-the-scenes roles available in our nature education programs.
- Education Center Hosts greet visitors to the Bill and Jean Lane Education Center on Saturdays and Sundays since March 2022.
- Wildflower Docents complete an extensive training course (offered annually, January – April) to become leaders of our spring wildflower and monthly nature hikes.
- Junior Explorer Docents lead school-age children on nature hikes during the spring and fall.
Program and Operations Support
Another great way to become part of our volunteer community is to put your business and creative skills to work behind the scenes.
- Explorer Newsletter writers, photographers, and graphic designers help create great Edgewood-related content for our quarterly issues.
- Friends of Edgewood’s website relies on our team of volunteer content creators and webmasters.
- Friends of Edgewood’s marketing team works on social media and other communications to volunteers and the public.
We also welcome volunteers to help with membership coordination, fundraising, volunteer management, business operations, and technical support.
Whether you have just a few free hours a month or are looking for a way to dig in and really make a difference at Edgewood, we have flexible opportunities to get involved.
All Friends of Edgewood volunteers must be at least 18 years of age or be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or authorized adult leader of a participating organization whenever they volunteer.
Check out the links below to learn more about some of our programs and program coordinator contact info. Or email us at [email protected] and tell us a little about yourself and what you are interested in. One of our program coordinators will be in touch.
Ed Center Hosts
Wildflower Docents
Junior Explorers Docents
Weed Warriors
Adopt-a-Highway