Become a Natural Resources Steward – Applications Now Being Accepted
Do you enjoy nature? Are you concerned about the future of NH’s forest, wildlife, and water resources? Are you a member of a conservation commission, land trust, or watershed association, or have thought about becoming more involved in your community? The Natural Resources Steward Program may be for you.
Open to all, the Natural Resources Steward program emphasizes hands-on learning with topics that include New Hampshire’s wildlife and their habitats, tree identification, evaluation, planting, and care, land conservation and protection, invasive species identification and management, sustainable living and permaculture, ecological landscaping and more.
Applications are now be accepted for the next 13-session course taking place Fridays beginning Sept. 5, at Great Bay Community College. Sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (In addition to being a volunteer program, the course can be taken for college credit.) The sooner you apply, the better your chances of being accepted into the program.
In exchange for education, participants must complete 40 hours of volunteer service. Graduates have volunteered in over 40 different natural resources-related areas including measuring NH’s biggest trees, inventorying natural resources, helping protect thousands of acres of land, discovering endangered species and delivering educational programs to adults and children. Volunteering can take place in your own community or by through one of our partnering agencies’ programs.
The Natural Resources Steward Program is sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension, NH Division of Forests and Lands, and Great Bay Community College in partnership with several other natural resources agencies. It also serves as the foundation course for Earth Team Volunteers through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and County Conservation Districts and the Wonders of Wildlife Volunteers through NH Fish and Game Dept.
To learn more about the Natural Resources Stewards Program and to apply, visit nhstewards.org or call UNH Cooperative Extension at 603-641-6060.