Volunteer

Do you have a passion for conservation and the environment? Our organization needs volunteers! You don’t have to be a top-tier birder - we need folks from all backgrounds and with various skill sets to help protect the birds and wildlife that so many people love. Please get in touch if you would like to join us. We have fun!

Current Positions

Research and Community Science Coordinators

Do you want to help gather important data on our local bird species of concern? How about helping the Cornell Lab use birds to track the impacts of climate change? We are looking for volunteers to help spearhead our re-occurring bird surveys and community science efforts. The work could include helping to organize the triennial Tricolored Blackbird survey, the annual Brown Pelican survey, periodic CDFW Bank Swallow surveys, and/or new biannual Climate Watch surveys! These positions require more people-organizing experience than bird monitoring experience. New birders are more than welcome to take on this role - you'll learn so much!

Field Trip Organizers/Leaders

Monterey County is full of various habitats that host hundreds of species of birds throughout the year. Given that our field trips fill up in a blink of an eye, the public is itching to be out there and we need you to take them out! You do not have to be an advanced birder for this activity, and if your skills are coordinating and communicating with a small group of people, then we will pair you with an intermediate/advanced birder to help lead the trip. If interested, or have a suggestion for a field trip, please contact us.

Tabling and Outreach

Our organization participates in many community events throughout the year. We need volunteers to help us staff our information tables set up at farmer’s markets, Earth Day and wildlife events along with street fairs and gatherings. It’s a great way to learn and share with the public what we do and why we care. It is a small time-commitment - usually a few hours on a weekend - but a big help. Go to the Community Events link for dates and times, then contact us to sign up.

Archivist

There are a multitude of old paper reports and newsletters from when the Monterey Audubon Society first began in the 1940s. It would be invaluable to future researchers to digitize this material. Much of the work would be done at the Monterey Public Library in the history room with support and guidance from Monterey Audubon staff.

Student Volunteers

Student volunteers needing to earn credit for school may help us and the local birds in a number of ways! Students can help organize trash cleanups at a local park or beach, conduct public outreach during seasonal events, write and submit social media or blog posts about local conservation or environmental justice issues, or develop another project that supports our mission.

We support students of all abilities, backgrounds, and identities. If you identify as a BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ student, we support developing field trips or outdoor activities to specifically amplify those groups and promote their visibility in outdoor spaces and the birding community.