 1993 Proceedings of the Midwest Oak Savanna Conferences
A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO VOLUNTEER ADMINISTRATION
FOR OAK SAVANNA RESTORATION PROJECTS
APPENDIX A:
McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD)
6512 Harts Road
Ringwood, IL 60072
Tel: (815) 678-4431
Tel: (815) 338-1405
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION
STEWARDSHIP 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:
- Actively support the District safety program and first aid/ emergency
procedures.
- Promptly report to the MCCD Volunteer Steward or his/her assignee
all unsafe actions, practices or conditions observed.
- Volunteers using power tools must use eye, ear and face protection,
helmets and safety chaps. Volunteers engaged in brush cutting must use
safety glasses.
Contact: Michael Martinez, (815) 678-4431
McHenry County Conservation District
Volunteer Services
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION
NATURAL 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:
- Actively support the District safety program and first aid/ emergency
procedures.
- Promptly report to the Restoration Ecologist or his\her assignee
all unsafe actions, practices or conditions observed.
Contact: Michael Martinez, (815) 678-4431
McHenry County Conservation District
Volunteer Services
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION
CO-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:
- Actively support the District safety program and first aid\emergency
procedures.
- Promptly report to the Volunteer Steward or his\her assignee all
unsafe actions, practices or conditions observed.
- Remind volunteers to use proper safety equipment: Power tools require
the use of eye, ear and face protection, helmets and safety chaps. Herbicide
use requires safety goggles and gloves. Volunteers engaged in brush cutting
and prescribed burning need safety glasses.
- A first aid kit should be available at all workdays.
Contact: Mike Martinez, (815) 678-4431
McHenry County Conservation District
Volunteer Services
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION
SITE 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:
- Actively support the District safety program and first aid/emergency
procedures.
- Promptly report to the Restoration Ecologist or his assignee all
unsafe actions, practices or conditions observed.
- Remind volunteers to use proper safety equipment: Power tools require
use of eye, ear and face protection, helmets and safety chaps. Herbicide
use requires safety goggles and gloves. Volunteers engaged in brush cutting
and prescribed burning need safety glasses.
- A first aid kit should be available at all workdays.
Contact: Mike Martinez, (815) 678-4431
McHenry County Conservation District
Volunteer Services
MCCD VOLUNTEER JOB DESCRIPTION
RARE SPECIES MONITORING VOLUNTEER
(also included are Habitat Quality Indicator Species)
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:
- Actively support the District safety program and first aid/ emergency
procedures.
- Promptly report to the appropriate Natural Resource Management Staff
member all unsafe actions, practices or conditions observed.
Contact: Mike Martinez, (815) 678-4431
McHenry County Conservation District
Volunteer Services |
