Volunteer

Maine Audubon volunteers help at Gilsland Farm

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at Maine Audubon!

Maine Audubon’s volunteers help protect our state’s wildlife and habitat. Our volunteer corps is an integral part of what we do: we harness the talents and passions of our volunteers to increase Maine Audubon’s impact, through environmental education, conservation, and advocacy.

Maine Audubon was founded by volunteers and volunteers continue to be a fundamental part of Maine Audubon’s operations, mission, and future. 

We welcome individuals, families, and groups of all ages and abilities to lend a hand at one of our eight wildlife sanctuaries or at Maine Audubon headquarters at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth.

Whether you see yourself engaging with visitors, working with our educators, collecting data, or assisting in the maintenance of our beautiful sanctuaries, we have dozens of fun and educational volunteer opportunities around the state.

Volunteer in Education

  • Environmental Educator:  Helping to connect people with the environment at Fields Pond, Scarborough Marsh, or Gilsland Farm is a great way to share your talents. Whether your expertise covers birds, insects, plants, or managing groups of kids, our Environmental Education programs could use your skills.  Our programs are designed to foster environmental literacy and build connection to the natural world in a fun, safe, and welcoming environment.

Volunteer in Conservation 

  • Community Scientist:  If you’re interested in helping collect critical data in support of wildlife conservation, water quality, and other vital environmental stands, become a Maine Audubon community scientist and make important contributions to conservation efforts. From wading in streams to search for macroinvertebrates, to searching for loons on one of Maine’s beautiful ponds, to tracking seasonal changes in your backyard, there is a project for you! Whether you can commit to a couple hours one day a year or to season long monitoring- there is a time commitment that will work for everyone!
  • Data administration: Great with details? Love Excel? We’re often in need of volunteers to help enter and/or double check data. Some tasks are possible to complete at home while some will be in-person at Gilsland Farm in Falmouth. 

Volunteer in Our Nature Centers

  • Nature Ambassadors:  Are you interested in sharing your love of nature with others? If you like guiding and interacting with people of all ages, then being an ambassador may interest you. Ambassadors greet and engage our guests, offering information about daily events, upcoming programs, our history, our sanctuaries, and seasonal celebrations taking place at Maine Audubon. 
  • Nature Store:  If you enjoy helping guests select that perfect purchase, then you may be interested in volunteering in our Gilsland Farm and Fields Pond Nature Stores. We offer a thoughtfully curated collection of locally crafted, ethically sourced and sustainably produced products that support our mission to inspire meaningful connections between people and nature.
  • Gilsland Farm Receptionist & Greeter:  Be the first person to warmly welcome our guests to the Maine Audubon Visitor Center at Gilsland Farm. The information desk is a hive of activity and our visitors’ source for learning about the work and programs we provide. Greeters help connect guests with nature, our education programs, and opportunities for action. 

Volunteers in Properties

  • Trail Steward:  Do you love walking around our sanctuaries? If so, join us as a trail steward volunteer. There is constructive meaningful work for many people of any ability or inclination. 
    • Walk the trails on a regular basis, take notes and report changes to the property including potentially hazardous or unpleasant trail conditions (storm damage, trash, tracks)
    • Replenish trail guides and outreach materials as needed
    • Document seasonal changes (e.g., make field notes, take photos)
    • Opportunity to maintain trails and signage as well as build future trail expansion
    • Carpentry skills welcome
  • Assistant Landscaping Volunteer at Gilsland Farm, Falmouth:  General outdoor labor including trail maintenance, weeding in our managed beds, raking and spring clean-up, invasive species mitigation, landscape plantings. Experience with native and invasive plants is preferable but can be taught.
  • Buildings Management Volunteer at Gilsland Farm, Falmouth:  Ideally experienced with basic carpentry and painting practices, has an eye for detail and the patience needed for finish work. Work opportunities include: interior drywall repair and repainting, refurbishing exterior infrastructure, installing and replacing hardware. 

Additional Opportunities to Volunteer

  • Membership Mailings & Administrative Help:  If you are interested in clerical work and want a job where you are able to sit down, then helping out with the Membership mailings might be a great job for you. Mailing volunteers help with the membership renewal mailings by folding and stuffing letters or stamping and addressing postcards. 
  • Special Events:  Throughout our season we offer a variety of classes, lectures, receptions, and other types of events where volunteers are needed to greet, serve, or help out in other capacities. 

For conservation/community science projects please contact Hannah Young at conserve@maineaudubon.org.

For all other volunteer inquiries contact our Volunteer Coordinator Jill Valley-Orlando at (207) 781-2330 or via email at  volunteer@maineaudubon.org.