Birds in My Neighborhood Volunteer Information
The application for Birds in My Neighborhood volunteers for 2023 has closed. If you are interested in joining our wait list for next year, please email birds@openlands.org.
Birds in My Neighborhood relies on volunteers to assist our in-school programs to thrive. You only need to be comfortable volunteering around kids, enjoy spending time outside, and be willing to help students learn. The commitment is minimal but certainly rewarding.
Birds in My Neighborhood® is a volunteer-driven program for elementary students that helps students see nature in their community through the observation of birds. Volunteers help run the program by working with teachers to schedule two classroom visits and a field trip to a local natural area. Volunteers are not required to be experienced birders, however; passion for connecting youth to nature is a must.
For more information about Birds in My Neighborhood contact birds@openlands.org
To become a volunteer requires a commitment of 15-20 hours per season with the following responsibilities:
- Attend required training sessions in February/March (Dates TBD)
- Work with a teacher to set the schedule for visits and field trip
- Co-lead three visits with students: in-classroom lesson, schoolyard bird walk, and field trip. Volunteers help youth identify birds in the schoolyard, and a field trip to a local natural area, and chaperoning students
Spring 2023 Training Schedule For Cook County:
Stay tuned! Sign up for our Garden and Nature Education newsletter for all the latest updates!
Spring 2023 Training Schedule For Lake/McHenry County:
For those interested in volunteering with the program in McHenry or Lake counties, please contact Stacy Iwanicki at dnr.volobog@illinois.gov or 815.344.1294.