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1993 Proceedings of the Midwest Oak Savanna Conferences
A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATION FOR OAK SAVANNA RESTORATION PROJECTSAPPENDIX A:McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD)
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONSTEWARDSHIP VOLUNTEER Duties: Perform various restoration tasks including brush and weed removal, seed collecting and planting, plant and animal monitoring, trash removal, etc. Restoration work occurs at several District Conservation Sites, consistent with site management plans/schedules. Requirements: Physical ability to work outdoors doing hard, physical labor. Knowledge of native ecological communities and restoration helpful, but not necessary since volunteers will be trained by Staff and Volunteer Stewards. Must be at least 16 years old and complete MCCD training in order to use power equipment. Time Commitment: Commitment is flexible and varies seasonally. Regular workdays are published in the MCCD bi-monthly newsletter. Volunteers wishing to work other than scheduled workdays must make arrangements with the MCCD regional Restoration Ecologist. Benefits: Great chance to learn first-hand about regional natural plant communities, plant and animal identification, restoration techniques and ecology. Training: Specific to restoration techniques for the workday. Advanced training opportunities are available from time to time with MCCD and other organizations in the Volunteer Stewardship Network. Supervision: Reports to the MCCD site Volunteer Steward. Comments: On site supervision is often provided by the site Volunteer Steward. All restoration activity is consistent with the site Management Plans/Schedules, and based on MCCD's Natural Resource Management policy and Rules for Management of Illinois Nature Preserves. Safetv Responsibilities:
Contact: Michael Martinez, (815) 678-4431
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONNATURAL AREA GUARDIAN Duties: Visit conservation area weekly, if possible, (depending on the site) making note of problems and opportunities such as: broken fences, trash dumps, vehicle trespass, missing signs, artificial drainage intrusions, weed colonies, Threatened or Endangered species locations. Send surveillance reports to MCCD on a regular basis. Requirements: Ability to interpret maps and aerial photos, ability to work with the public, knowledge of native ecological communities helpful but not required. Time Commitment: Commitment is flexible and varies among sites. Site Surveillance Reports are to be completed three times each year and forwarded to MCCD. MCCD will distribute these Reports to other agencies as appropriate. Site surveillance visits can be scheduled at the convenience of the volunteer, although unscheduled surveillance may be requested by MCCD from time to time. Training: Specific to site surveillance, including maps and aerial photo interpretation. Advanced training is available from time to time with MCCD and other organizations in the Volunteer Stewardship Network. Benefits: opportunity to become thoroughly acquainted with the ecology and geology of a particular site, and serve an important role in the protection of Mcllenry County's landscape. Supervision: Reports to the MCCD regional Restoration Ecologist. Comments: Some public contact may occur while volunteers are conducting site surveillance. All problems and concerns should be directed to the Restoration Ecologist. All restoration and surveillance activity is consistent with the site Management Plans/ Schedules, which are based on MCCD Natural Resource Management Policy and the Rules for Management of Illinois Nature Preserves. Safety Responsibilities:
Contact: Michael Martinez, (815) 678-4431
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONCO-STEWARD Duties: Assist site Steward with assigned tasks, specific to your appointment. Some Co-Steward assist with workdays, while others lead seed collection, volunteer recruitment or orientation, administrative or other tasks. Requirements: An interest in the site and ecological restoration, with an ability to learn restoration and management techniques. Ability to train and supervise other volunteers in restoration management, as the leader of a cooperative and productive team. Time Commitment: Varies with site. Restoration workdays, usually on weekends, are scheduled and coordinated in order to fulfill the site management plan\schedule. Most workdays are 2-3 hours long. Benefits: Learn and teach ecology, natural history, plant and animal identification, and restoration techniques. Social interaction in unique McHenry County natural areas. Training: MCCD staff and volunteers provide basic and advanced training opportunities. Prairie University catalogs and a Volunteer Stewardship manual are available from the Nature Conservancy's Volunteer Stewardship Network. Supervision: Reports to the site Volunteer Steward. Comments: Types of restoration work are described in the Stewardship Volunteer Job Description. All restoration work on MCCD sites is consistent with management plans, based on MCCD Natural Resource Management policy and the Rules for Management of Illinois Nature Preserves. The Co-Steward is a key leadership position and, like the Volunteer Steward, at times requires skills in diplomacy and team building. Safetv Responsibilities:
Contact: Mike Martinez, (815) 678-4431
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONSITE STEWARD Duties: Lead restoration management workdays at your assigned site, consistent with MCCD Site Management Plan/Schedule. Keep and forward records of restoration work to the MCCD Volunteer Coordinator, including the names of all volunteers that worked at the site and a summary of their hours worked. Recruit, and then train new volunteers in the methods of ecological restoration, including the conceptual and philosophical foundations of restoration management. Requirements: An interest in the site and ecological restoration, with an ability to learn restoration and management techniques. Ability to train and supervise other volunteers in restoration management, as the leader of a cooperative and productive team. Time Commitment: Varies with site. Restoration workdays, usually on weekends, are scheduled and coordinated in order to fulfill the site management plan\schedule. Most workdays are 2-3 hours long. Benefits: Learn and teach ecology, natural history, plant and animal identification, and restoration techniques. Social interaction in unique McHenry County natural areas. Training: MCCD staff and volunteers provide basic and advanced training opportunities. Prairie University course catalogs and Volunteer Stewardship manual are available from the Nature Conservancy's Volunteer Stewardship Network. Supervision: Reports to MCCD regional Restoration Ecologist. Comments: Types of restoration work are described in Stewardship Volunteer Job Description. All restoration work on MCCD sites is consistent with management plans, based on MCCD Natural Resource Management policy and the Rules for Management of Illinois Nature Preserves. The Site Steward is a key leadership position, and some responsibilities can be delegated to experienced volunteers. Safety Responsibilities:
Contact: Mike Martinez, (815) 678-4431
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTIONRARE SPECIES MONITORING VOLUNTEER
Duties: Monitor rare species and communities as assigned by MCCD Natural Resource Management staff. Collect data and forward to MCCD staff. Requirements: Strong background in biology or ecology with significant field experience. Knowledge of scientific and monitoring procedures, ability to follow directions and work independently. Time Commitment: Commitment requires volunteer to monitor assigned Conservation Areas as directed by Natural Resource Management staff. Benefits: Great chance to contribute to the understanding of species' life histories, and community and population dynamics. Training: Provided by the Natural Resource Management staff (or other agencies as approved by the NRM Department), specific to the monitoring program. Supervision: Reports to the appropriate MCCD Natural Resource Management staff member. Comments: All monitoring activity must be approved by Natural Resource Management staff. Staff determines Conservation Areas, species and communities to be monitored, and the methodology for collecting data. The MCCD monitoring program is consistent with the site Management Plans/Schedules, which are based on MCCD Natural Resource Management policy and the Rules for Management of Illinois Nature Preserves. Safetv Responsibilities:
Contact: Mike Martinez, (815) 678-4431
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