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 by using the form below. We have fun!
Current Positions
Field Trip 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 help filling our demand.
Our Birdability field trips are popular, and we provide training for this specialized form of inclusive outing.
If you have knowledge about local birds, please contact us about becoming a field trip leader. Training and mentorship is provided.
Tabling and Outreach
Our organization participates in many community events throughout the year. We are looking for 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.
Additionally, we’d like to include photos and feature writing for our blogs.
Research and Community Scientist Organizers
Do you want to help gather important data on our local bird species of concern? We are looking for volunteers to help spearhead our recurring bird surveys and community science projects. Example projects are:
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Triennial Tricolored Blackbird survey
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Annual Brown Pelican survey
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Periodic CDFW Bank Swallow surveys
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NestWatch Monterey County Coordinator for cavity nester recovery
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!
Monterey Audubon Society Operations
Monterey Audubon Society is a nonprofit business. That means, if you have any skills that a typical business uses, we could you use! Examples are:
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Board and Committee service
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Legal advice
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Website and social media management
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Fundraising
We are in a period of growth and development, and we couldn't be more excited to have more community members involved.
Student Volunteers
Student volunteers needing to earn credit for school may help us and the local birds in a number of ways!
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Conduct public outreach during seasonal events
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Participate in community science projects
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Students can help organize trash cleanups at a local park or beach
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Write and submit social media or blog posts about local conservation or environmental justice issues
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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.
Conservation Project Members
Our conservation projects rely on the community science efforts of hundreds of people each year. We have distinct seasons for each, and we request a commitment to them for the whole season. The active projects are:
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California Bird Atlas
We provide training and a schedule to maximize our collective impact. Learn more about our projects on each project page linked above.
Black Oystercatcher Monitoring Project volunteers and staff work together to safeguard these special shorebirds.