The duties of an environmental volunteer will differ from one organization to the next. Many people who volunteer to do environmental work may find themselves working in the field to benefit the environment, while others may help run a non-profit or other type of organization that aims to improve the environment on a local or even global scale. Cleaning up after natural disasters or simply maintaining trails, forests, and wildlife areas are examples of environmental volunteer work. Others may volunteer to help secure financial support for environmental projects or organizations, and others may be in charge of spreading the word about a specific environmental cause or organization.
Because an environmental volunteer is not paid, the work he or she does is frequently done in their spare time. Other environmental volunteer positions require a person to spend a significant amount of time doing volunteer work all at once or in a shorter timeframe. Some volunteers choose to do a little bit of work consistently over a long period of time, while others require a person to spend a significant amount of time doing volunteer work all at once or in a shorter timeframe. During the summer, some volunteer organizations recruit high school and college students to do environmental volunteer work all over the world.
Maintaining trails, clearing brush, picking up garbage or debris, designing and building better trails, barriers, or other features, or even developing and distributing educational materials are all examples of work done in the field. Qualified volunteers may even be able to assist wildlife management agencies, which are in charge of ensuring the safety and welfare of wildlife in protected areas. The US National Park Service frequently has volunteer positions available all over the world; this service is in charge of maintaining and preserving the national parks, and volunteers may find themselves doing repair or maintenance work within the parks. Volunteers may also collaborate with park rangers to educate the public about issues affecting the park’s wildlife or the park’s preservation.
Fundraising is a common type of volunteer work in the environmental field. Environmental advocacy organizations frequently require financial support for a variety of reasons, ranging from political action to trail maintenance. A volunteer may assist the organization in soliciting donations or participating in fundraising drives and other fundraising activities that benefit the organization, which is frequently a non-profit organization. Because marketing is such an important part of the fundraising process, volunteers may be able to assist with developing and implementing a marketing strategy.