Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities
Special Projects at Snowden Tract, the Balcones Canyonlands Chapter “Hub”
Location
Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) that is managed by Travis County. The full BCP, one of the largest urban preserves in the U.S., includes more than 32,000 acres of habitat for endangered species. Chapter members of the BCTXMN have special volunteer days, and the team at Travis County is working to make the Snowden Tract a volunteer hub. If you are interested in helping with these projects, please email rebecca.woodward@traviscountytx.gov .
Trail Maintenance & Habitat Restoration
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge protects the habitat of the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo on over 25,000 acres in the Texas Hill Country. Our headquarters office is located just 5 miles west of Lago Vista on FM 1431 (about 45 minutes NW of Austin). Volunteer opportunities may be viewed here: https://friendsofbalcones.org/volunteers
Vireo Preserve Workdays
1107 North Capital of Texas Hwy. 78749
Work with biologist Jim O’Donnell as we work to restore endangered species habitat on the Vireo Preserve. Volunteer work will include trail building, clearing debris along a creek, invasive species removal, erosion control, tree planting, and seed collecting/planting. Attendees should dress for the weather and bring a refillable water bottle. Registration is required. Click here to to sign up.
Mansfield Dam Pollinator Project
Mansfield Dam Park, near the office and playground
4370 Mansfield Dam Park Road, Austin, TX 78732
View Map
Volunteer with other Balcones Chapter members to set up a pollinator garden! Find out when master naturalists are meeting on the calendar or in Slack.
DIY Trash Removal with Bull Creek Foundation
The Bull Creek Foundation promotes and encourages the balance between nature, recreation, and development in a unique and treasured 32-square mile watershed.
Bull Creek has seen some heavy use and could really use your help! We are asking volunteers to come out and help clean up the park. If you need trash bags or plastic gloves, please email us and we will coordinate getting supplies to you. Sign up to volunteer: https://givepul.se/ezd5nx and (if you are on social media) highlight your efforts: #GetInvolved @savebullcreek
Wildlife Monitoring at Hornsby Bend
Austin Water Center for Environmental Research at Hornsby Bend
Second Saturday of Every Month
7:00 – 11:30 am and 4 pm – sunset
2210 South FM 973 78725
The Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory Monthly Bird Survey is open to all levels of birder interested in intensive monitoring. This is an all-day event. In the morning, teams will cover different areas of the Hornsby Bend facility and count all birds seen. It is 4 hours of hard hiking and counting, but lots of fun along the way. There is a break to tally the species then volunteers spend the afternoon looking for species missed that morning which continues until sundown. Monthly bird survey info: https://www.hornsbybend.org/monthly-events
Earn hours by taking pictures
Just submit your photos! Any photo that gets used on the website, blog or newsletter will earn you one hour of volunteer time. Send to Submissions@bctxmn.org.
Westcave Preserve Volunteer Opportunities (West of Austin)
www.westcave.org
Adjacent to the Pedernales River in southwestern Travis County about 27 miles from downtown Austin, Westcave Preserve relies on our volunteers to help us preserve this beautiful sanctuary and provide quality environmental education to schoolchildren and the general public. Current volunteer positions include: Greeters, Tour Guides, Gardening and Trail Maintenance, Educational School Program, Specialty Projects, and Group Work Day.
For additional information on volunteering: https://www.westcave.org/volunteers
Opportunities on campus
From Dr. Whitehead: We’ve got a lot of trail work to do on campus, both in our preserve tract and on the publicly accessible parts. We have also begun site work for a new dormitory and will soon be working to salvage trees and rescue smaller plants (no permission to do that yet, but I expect it soon). Contact me if you’re interested.