Volunteer
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Westford Conservation Trust.
There are many ways to volunteer. Here are some examples:
Board and Committee Members
Representing many different interests, experiences, and perspectives, our Board of Directors and committee members care deeply about conserving Westford’s open space. Serving as a Board or Committee member is a great way to further support our mission and become deeply involved with the work of the Westford Conservation Trust.
The Board is responsible for the overall direction of the Trust, and committee members serve in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors. An example of a Trust committee is the Scholarship Committee.
Trail Steward
Stewards help take care of designated trails on town and trust land that require routine maintenance and visits.
Stewardship volunteers get their hands dirty assisting the Trust with trail work as needed. Trail maintenance, trail blazing, and tree cutting are the most common activities, with occasional opportunities like bridge repair or new trail construction. Carpentry and tree cutting skills are helpful but not required. The Stewards also help create and maintain trail signage and report to the Land & Trails Committee on issues that require assistance.
Invasives Committee
Monitor, and in specific cases, control invasive plants on both Trust and Westford public lands. The committee plans, organizes, and recruit’s volunteers for invasive control events during the summer months. Volunteers will learn how to recognize and control specific invasives.
Hike Leader
Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for the natural world? We welcome volunteers to lead our monthly nature walks. Leaders can choose to share history, observations about flora and fauna, and other facts about the trail they choose to walk. The Trust can provide documentation about most trails.
Land Stewardship
CR (conservation restriction) Monitors perform annual site visits on trust conservation properties. A typical site visit involves speaking with the landowner, walking the property, and documenting the sites current condition. Where applicable, may visit together with the Land Stewardship Coordinator. Notify the Trust about any areas of concern such as illegal dumping.
Website/Social Media
Post coming events, wildlife photos, event photos, and volunteer workday photos. Keep website/social media up-to-date. Knowledge of WordPress would be helpful.
Newsletter
Solicit articles on ongoing Trust activities or new initiatives. Publish an e-newsletter bi-yearly or as your schedule permits. Familiarity with newsletter applications like Mailchimp is helpful.
Mentoring Scout and Corporate Volunteers
Coordinate one-day volunteer events or grant permission to trail improvements for Boy Scout Eagle Scout projects or Girl Scout Gold projects. Mentors could assist with Westford Academy Capstone student mentoring. The Trust maintains a list of desirable projects, and land stewards can suggest trail maintenance or invasive plant control for group efforts.
Photographer
Photographer volunteers capture scenes of our beautiful Westford places and the work we do here. This includes wildlife and landscape photography (flora and fauna) on Westford’s conserved lands, as well as taking photographs at events and workdays hosted by the Trust.
