Become a Plant Conservation Volunteer
If you love plants, science, and the outdoors, you can play a vital role in our regional conservation network
Established in 1993 as part of our New England Plant Conservation Program, our Plant Conservation Volunteer (PCV) program is the oldest one in the country to conduct rare plant-monitoring. PCVs support professional botanists and State Heritage Programs by gathering vital data in the field. Across the six states of New England, PCVs conduct field monitoring, seed collection, and habitat management. PCVs now number in the hundreds, but as native plant habitats face mounting stresses, we need even more passionate volunteers to help save New England's native plants.
Here are some of the crucial activities PCVs perform:
- Rare Plant Monitoring—Survey populations of endangered plant species to help provide critical information used by local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and state and federal land managers to make important conservation and habitat management decisions.
- Seed Collection—Learn how to collect seeds from New England’s imperiled species for storage in Native Plant Trust’s seed bank to preserve the genetic diversity of New England’s flora into the future.
- Habitat Management—Help fight the loss of natural communities lost or damaged by development, invasive species, and succession by identifying new threats and participating in organized management projects.
Benefits
- Participants visit some of the most diverse and unique natural communities in New England; many of which are not open to the general public.
- We offer a variety of field trips led by professional botanists throughout New England every year, providing the opportunity to learn more about identification, ecology, and conservation in the field.
- Experienced PCVs say that they find deep satisfaction in helping to prevent the extinction or extirpation of hundreds of New England’s rarest species.
Qualifications
New applicants should have some botanical knowledge, a commitment to native plant conservation, good observation skills, a sense of adventure, and their own transportation.
How to Apply
Use this form to apply.
Questions? Please contact Botanical Coordinator Micah Jasny: mjasny@saigeyundong.com, x 3204.
