Community Science - Volunteer Program

​How can you get involved? 

There’s a way for everyone to get involved in community science and help the Land Trust collect biodiversity data on our preserves! The following is a list of our current wildlife monitoring opportunities. 

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• iNaturalist and eBird monitoring

  • Anyone can become a community scientist by using these two mobile apps! Both iNaturalist and eBird are community-based resources for collecting wildlife data. iNaturalist includes all species from wildlife to plants, whereas eBird focuses on bird observations.

  • To upload species to iNaturalist or eBird, simply visit any Land Trust preserve and either take pictures of different species on the iNaturalist app or add observed birds to your eBird checklist. That’s it! This data will be saved to both apps and the info collected can be used to guide land management plans and actions taken to preserve the habitats of these animals. 

  • This can be done at any time of the year, on your own schedule!  

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• Snake Board Monitoring 

  • Be a part of our wildlife monitoring efforts by volunteering to collect data from our various snake boards on our preserves! A snake board is a large piece of wood that we place in specific locations on our preserves to provide cover for snakes in the wild. Snakes are a vital component of a healthy ecosystem, and they prefer warm, dry habitats and seek out shady, dark places to rest and cool down, so these snake boards are a great way to observe their populations.   

  • As a part of this program, volunteers will commit to checking their designated snake board once a week and collecting and reporting data back to the LAND TRUST. This program will run from late spring through summer. 

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• Egg Mass Surveys 

  • Help find amphibian egg masses in the Land Trust wetlands! Egg masses are just what they sound like - clusters of amphibian eggs that float near the surface of the water. The data collected by surveying egg masses shows proof of breeding populations and can help predict future populations of amphibians.  

  • This is a mainly self-led opportunity that requires a ~1-hour commitment 1-2 times/week. You will choose/be assigned to* a site/wetland. You will be provided with all the necessary equipment to perform surveys and be trained on the procedure during the volunteer orientation.  ​

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• Funnel Trapping 

  • Our preserves are home to a number of aquatic and semi-aquatic species, including a variety of salamanders, frogs, toads, crayfish, and more. Funnel trapping allows us to directly count these individuals to get a better estimate of their populations. Funnel traps are placed in the designated location for each preserve coinciding with a rain event. Volunteers then return to the trap each day at the same time for the next five days to collect data. After data collection, the individuals are released, and the process is repeated.  

  • Due to the nature of funnel trapping, volunteers for this program will be required to commit to checking the traps over a five-day period at roughly the same time each day. Although this is an opportunity that can be done independently, volunteers will be provided with all necessary materials and trained by a Land Trust staff member prior to data collection.   ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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​Where Can You Get Involved? 

Below is a map of the wildlife monitoring site locations. 

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