Dune Ecosystem Restoration Team (DERT)
Workdays for 2008
| 1st Saturdays | Eureka Dunes Protected Area (EDPA) | Meet across from the Samoa Boatramp on Somoa Blvd (Hwy 255) |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Saturdays | Humboldt Coastal Nature Center |
Meet at 220 Stamps Lane in Manila Directions |
| 3rd Saturdays | Manila Dunes Recreation Area | Meet at the Manila Community Center, 1611 Peninsula Drive, Manila |
| 4th Saturdays | Lanphere Dunes | Meet at Pacific Union School on Janes Road in Arcata |
Gloves, tools, training and cookies are provided. Please wear closed toed shoes, layered clothing and bring drinking water. For more information or to arrange to bring a group, call the Friends of the Dunes at 707-444-1397 or email emily@friendsofthedunes.org.
Learn much more on our restoration page.
Bay to Dunes Educator
Be a volunteer for the Bay to Dunes Education Program. Field trips are held Wednesdays and Fridays between 9am and 2pm. Training provided.
Next Training Schedule & More Info Here.
Coastal Naturalist Training
Become a Friends of the Dunes Coastal Naturalist! Every fall we offer an in-depth training covering topics like botany, geology, birds, insects, animal tracking, cultural history, coastal ecology and interpretation techniques. Training sessions are led by local experts. In exchange for this in-depth and professional FREE training, we ask a minimum volunteer commitment of 3 hours every few months, either leading restoration workdays or leading guided walks.
No time to volunteer? Leading walks not your cup of tea? You can still take the training for the very reasonable cost of $50 for all 6 weeks, or $5 to drop in on a session. Contact Maggie at 444-1397 or email maggie@friendsofthedunes.org for more information or to sign up.
Share the Beach Campaign Volunteer
Be a part of our Share the Beach Campaign by helping to provide the public with information on how they can recreate on our beaches in a way that protects native plants and animals. Docents are asked to spend a minimum of 2-3hrs/month during weekends at Clam Beach sharing information in a non-confrontational way with visitors on how they can recreate responsibly. Prospective docents should plan to attend a training session that will include information on beach and dune ecology, western snowy plover identification and natural history, and clam beach rules and regulations. Trained docents will be provided with all the equipment they need to either set up spotting scopes on potential plover parents and chat with the public about beach wildlife or rove the beach with an armload of free dog leashes and brochures, serving as a resource of information.
Sound interesting?
Merchandising/Marketing Coordinator
Friends of the Dunes merchandise not only helps provide funds to keep help support programming, but it also serves as an important outreach tool. We carry chocolate bars highlighting dune habitats, Hortense Lanphere's Bedlam on the Slew, beach and dune pocket field guides, t-shirt and hats. We are looking for an energetic leader for this volunteer position to outreach to the community and help us market these items as part of our fundraising campaign. The Merchandising Coordinator will work closely with the Executive Director to help monitor inventory, contact businesses interested in carrying our products, keep outlets stocked, place orders, help create displays, work with other merchandising volunteers and our web master to develop new venues for our products. The ideal merchandising coordinator would have some experience in merchandising and marketing and a commitment to the Friends of the Dunes Mission.
Estimated time Commitment: 5-10 hours/month.
Join a Committee
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in several exciting projects. If you are unsure about joining a committee, consider working on a specific task first, and then you can decide if you want to be an official committee member. Below are listed our committees with current project needs and who to contact. If you have interests or skills in any of the tasks listed, this is a great way to get involved. Please feel free to contact committee chairs to discuss how you can help -short term or long term.
Fundraising
Chair: Carol Vander Meer, carol@friendsofthedunes.org
Help with our upcoming membership drive in September. We need folks to call members for the "Friend Get a Friend" campaign, prepare mailings, distribute membership packets and more. We are also developing a comprehensive fundraising plan that will include major donor campaigns, special events, annual appeals and more.
Education
Chair: Nancy Ihara, nancy@friendsofthedunes.org
Help oversee and plan high quality educational programs for the public and local schools.
Human Resources
Chair: Tony LaBanca, tony@friendsofthedunes.org
With a new and expanded staff, we need assistance in developing employee policies, evaluation tools, and benefit plans. Community members with human resource management experience could be extremely helpful as we lay the ground work for a healthy working environment.
Land Trust
Chair: Lisa Hoover, lisa@friendsofthedunes.org
In the next year, the committee plans to develop a land trust information packet for potential donors, work with local legislative offices and the California Coastal Conservancy regarding potential opportunities for easements and acquisitions and sponsor a workshop for coastal property owners interested in working with the land trust. Individuals with real-estate and or legal experience are especially needed.
Restoration
Chair: Michelle Forys, michelle@friendsofthedunes.org
Ensure that the Dune Ecosystem Restoration Team continues to serve as a catalyst for community-based restoration activities and identify potential restoration projects and sources of funding.
Newsletter
Chair: Emily Walter, emily@friendsofthedunes.org
Help produce the quarterly Dunesberry in any of the following areas: planning, layout, soliciting and writing articles and producing artwork.
Be an Office Volunteer
Office volunteers are needed to help with data entry, membership mailings, merchandise sales, media relations and more.