[ Home ] [ Up ]

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Listed below are opportunities for volunteers to chose a specific activity to assist the Forestry Board and Department of Natural Resources-Forest Service by helping to advance programs in urban and rural forestry. Volunteer training is available from Forest Service and Forestry Board members. Time commitments are approximate and depend on your degree of involvement.

1. SCHOOLYARD REFORESTATION/WILDLIFE HABITAT

This program provides a hands-on, problem solving activity for students to research, plan, develop, implement, maintain, apply for grants and provide follow-up by developing a Forest Stewardship Plan, and writing final reports.

A handbook has been developed by the Forestry Board and Forest Service in conjunction with the Baltimore County Public Schools. The focus of this handbook is to provide guidelines for the planning and the execution of various tree planting and wildlife related projects.

Volunteers would work with the schools to introduce the program, provide ongoing guidance, and coordinate the delivery of forestry supplies.

Time: Volunteers should be available to visit during school hours for spring and fall plantings. Supervising may require one or more days depending on the scope of the project.

2. SEED COLLECTION

This seed collection is in cooperation with the Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service-statewide program to insure the supply of native grown seedlings. This program can be run separately or in conjunction with Schoolyard Reforestation/Wildlife Habitat Program.

Volunteers would work with teachers and students to identify a group of the same species of trees and note the exact location.  If the trees are located on private property, permission must be obtained to collect seeds. This information is required for the forester to inspect the trees before seeds are collected.

The students will learn species identification and how to check for viability of acorns. In the Schoolyard Reforestation/Wildlife Handbook there is a learning activity involving the estimation of the amount of seeds at the collection site.

The collected seeds are sent to the John S. Ayton State Nursery in Preston, Md., planted and lifted as seedlings for reforestation plantings on public property and sold at cost to private property owners for approved forestry projects.

A list of tree species and quantities of seeds required by project location will be provided prior to start of project. Various species of oaks, green and white ash, tulip poplar, native dogwood, and walnuts are collected.

Time: Volunteers should be available during school hours. Instruction and coordination will take place in September to identify trees and locations. Collection take place in October depending on when seeds are ripe and fall. No tree climbing is required.

Students could receive service learning credits for participation in the project.

3. TREE PLANTING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY

Some schools elect to plant trees on public property i.e. parks and cloverleaves. This involves the students using the seedlings that they planted in pots under the Schoolyard Reforestation/Wildlife Habitat Program or writing for a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to purchase trees or coordinating with the State Department of Transportation.

This activity requires advanced planning and coordination with various governmental agencies and schools. 

Time: Volunteers should be available during school hours, Spring and Fall.

 Students could receive service learning credits for participation in the project.

1. GREENING COMMITTEES

Volunteers would assist community groups in forming a Greening Committee in order to     plan, plant and maintain their street trees (trees planted between the sidewalks and curbs, public rights of way, or semi-public property). Project does not involve private property trees

Volunteers would Instruct the committee on how to record information on the AGreening Form@ make a street tree survey, select the right tree for the location, obtain property owners agreement, funding, ordering of trees, planning for the planting, proper planting methods, tree maintenance, obtaining of permits, preparing application for Plant Community Award.

Time: Volunteers would make the initial presentation at the community association meeting to form the AGreening Committee@. This is usually one half hour in the evening. Instruction on filling out of form, other training and supervision of planting takes place during daylight hours.

FUNDING-GRANTS

 Volunteers develop and write for grants to fund seedling program, teachers workshops, Scholarships for Maryland students to attend in state college forestry programs, public tree plantings, etc.

Time: varies. Many grant requests are easy to prepare i.e. Chesapeake Bay Trust

PUBLICITY

Volunteers would  work with the various forms of the media, either county wide, local papers, radio, TV, etc. to promote the programs of the Forestry Board and the Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service.

 For more information on how you can volunteer

 please call 410-665- 5820.

       The Forest Conservancy District Board for Baltimore County

9405 Old Harford Road

Baltimore, Maryland 21234

(410) 665-5820 

Email Robert Prenger ....... rprenger@dnr.state.md.us

 Melvin Noland ....... mlnoland@bcpl.net