Watershed Alliance Launches Educator Volunteer Program

In the fall of 2023, Watershed Alliance trained our first volunteer to assist with Watershed Alliance programming—and we're eager to welcome more volunteers to join our growing team. The idea to kickstart a volunteer program to assist with the increasing demands of the UVM Watershed Alliance K-12 programs began to surface before I was hired in 2019. Watershed Alliance’s educational programs reach over a thousand K-12 students and teachers between May and October each year.

The program traditionally hosts between five and ten undergraduate interns during the academic year but their availability does not always match the demands and timelines of K-12 students and their teachers. Therefore, the idea to pilot a volunteer program to assist with the growing program demands began. 

As the Watershed and Lake Education Specialist, I began imagining this program back in the spring of 2021. Through multiple logistical barriers, the program was postponed until this past year.

Finally, we launched our pilot volunteer program with the arrival of the new boat and a willing volunteer! Ruth Beecher, a retired classroom teacher, joined us on a couple of our Lake Champlain Live programs where she assisted with small tasks such as turning on microscopes or directing individuals on how to put on life jackets before boarding the boat. “It was an absolute blast to volunteer for the Watershed Alliance,” shared Ruth.

In the Spring of 2024, Watershed Alliance led a training for four additional volunteers to officially begin this new era. One volunteer, Jeff Hindes - a high school history teacher, continued to assist our staff all the way through the summer 2024 season. He was particularly helpful during our Summer Public Trip Series - Stories of Lake Champlain trips where he added key historical facts from local shipwrecks as well as Revolutionary War history. Additionally, Jeff took on an extra role as a hired deckhand for one of our week-long teacher professional development courses (see photo below) based on his seasoned mariner skills.

“Volunteering with LCSG was terrific," shared Jeff. "The experience gave me the opportunity to learn from experts while both lending a hand in program activities and contributing my knowledge of lake history. All of this on a state-of-the-art research boat with a great crew. To sum it up, volunteering was a great opportunity to do interesting things on an amazing boat with really knowledgeable and engaging people.” 

We are expanding this volunteer program as we look forward to 2025. For more information about how to volunteer please reach out to caroline.mckelvey [at] uvm.edu.