U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Educational Program Volunteers

Instructors: The Science Center is always looking for people to serve as instructors for its many exploratory, hands-on education programs. Instructors work with small groups of children and most of the instructing takes place outside in the Campbell Tract’s woods and streams. Any given program might require from two to six hours of instruction, up to an hour of preparation time, and 30-45 minutes of cleanup time. Depending on interest and abilities, volunteers may also be involved in program design and evaluation, maintenance of equipment and education trails, organization of program files, program promotion, and grant writing.

Equipment and Props: Educational programs at the Science Center use a variety of props and equipment—all of which need to be kept organized and maintained. For example, Earth Ranger necklaces need to be strung, glacier “dough” needs to be mixed, and educational mounts of plant and animal specimens need to be prepared. Sometimes, too, we need to develop new props to support educational programs, replace signs in activity areas, or re-route activity trails.

Qualifications: 
Educational volunteers…

• Have experience in the life sciences, physical sciences, education—or in a combination of these. 
   
• Have a firm grasp of basic scientific principles and the scientific method of inquiry.
   
• Are willing to work outdoors in inclement weather and are able to endure moderate physical activity. 
   
• Have excellent communication skills.
   
• Are comfortable and effective working with groups of students.
   
• Have experience working with children and knowledge of local natural history.
   
• Are required to pass an extensive government background check before instructing.

Backyard Discoveries Program Volunteers

Volunteers can contribute to the Center’s natural resource collections, learn about local flora and fauna, and gain a greater appreciation for the importance of sound resource management based on accurate scientific information through a number of projects.

• Plant Projects: The Campbell Creek Science Center houses a formal herbarium that’s almost entirely the work of Center volunteers. Volunteers collect, identify, press, mount, and catalogue plants for the herbarium. They also develop and maintain plant displays and keys that are used in educational programs at the Center. And they conduct on-going weed monitoring and removal projects.
• Gardening Projects: Volunteers plan, plant, and maintain gardens in front of the Science Center building.
• Insect Projects: Volunteers collect, identify, prepare, and catalogue specimens for the Center’s insect collection. Volunteers also help conduct both the annual 4th of July Butterfly Count and semiannual bioassessments of Campbell Creek and Little Campbell Creek. And volunteers create educational displays and mounts of insects.
• Bird Projects: Volunteers help biologists track bird populations on the Campbell Tract. Bird banding operations happen in early fall.

Qualifications
Backyard Discovery Program volunteers…

• Have academic backgrounds or strong amateur interests in the life sciences or natural history. 
• Are willing to work outdoors in inclement weather and are able to endure moderate physical activity.

Administrative Volunteers

Front Desk: Volunteers greet visitors, help answer basic questions (in person and over the phone), sell books from our bookstore, take reservations, direct calls to appropriate individuals, restock brochure racks, and perform clerical work.

Librarian: The Science Center houses a small interpretive reference collection that includes books, multi-media products (CD-ROMs, video/audio cassettes, DVDs), and a limited number of journals. Volunteers reshelve books, catalogue new items, and continue the acquisition of reference materials to meet the needs of instructional staff, area teachers, and other Center users. Volunteers also coordinate the Center’s collection with the Anchorage School District cataloging system.

Aquarium Maintenance: Center stage in the Science Center lobby is a 1000-gallon tank stocked with rainbow trout and other fish and designed to model the aquatic habitats of Campbell Creek. Volunteers complete monthly cleanings of the tank, scrubbing down the tank walls and running all the water in the tank through a special external motorized water filter.

Qualifications
Administrative volunteers…

• Have a variety of different office-related skills—or an interest in large aquariums!
   
• Enjoy working with the public in an indoor setting.
   
• Love to learn about public land and the educational and recreational opportunities it offers.

Special Events Volunteers

Join us for one or all of the following Special Events! Just slip into some sturdy work shoes, grab some work gloves if you have them, and come on the event day and sign in. If you’re planning to bring a group of volunteers, such as a scout troop, please pre-register a week or two ahead by calling (907) 267-1247 so that we can get your group assigned to an appropriate project—and make checking in on the event day much easier.

• National Trails Day
  When: First Saturday in June
  What: Come help improve Campbell Tract trails through work projects.
  Contact Number: (907) 267-1247
   
• National Public Lands Day
  When: Saturday in late September
  What: Come take care of public lands through various work projects.
  Contact Number: (907) 267-1247

Qualifications
Special Events volunteers…

• Are physically capable of moderate trail work, including using tools such as shovels, rakes, and clippers.
   
• Are willing to work outdoors in all sorts of weather.
   
• Care about the well being of public lands and enjoy working alongside others with a similar outlook.

Opportunities for Scouts

Every year Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts help with a variety of projects on Campbell Tract. Scouts frequently pitch in for special work project events, including National Public Lands Day and National Trails Day. In addition, Eagle Scout candidates complete projects here on their way to earning their Eagle Scout ranking and some Girl Scout troops have completed projects to earn awards such as the Bronze Award. Past scout projects have included adopting and maintaining trailheads, stabilizing trail approaches to pedestrian bridges, installing stairs to provide easier creek access for educational programs, planting gardens, and installing benches and interpretive displays.

Qualifications: 
Scout volunteers:

• Are physically capable of moderate trail work, including using tools such as shovels, rakes, hand trowels, and clippers.
• Are willing to work outdoors in all sorts of weather. 
• Care about the well being of public lands and enjoy working alongside others with a similar outlook. 
• Take the responsibility, as Eagle Scout candidates, to organize others to complete stewardship projects.

Come help…

• Complete landscaping projects.
• Improve and maintain trails and trailheads.
• Restore habitat for wildlife.
• Reduce streambank erosion and protect Campbell Creek.
• Install interpretive signs and signposts.

When?

• year round

Friends Group members 

Serve on the Friends of the Campbell Creek Science Center Board and promote Science Center programs, work with community groups and individuals to acquire donations, write thank you letters, and manage the affairs of this nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.