Volunteer with Us

 

Volunteers look for rare plants in a meadow in the Fremont-Winema National Forest. Photo credit, Eva Thiemann.

Ready to get started?

  1. Fill out our Volunteer Interest form.

  2. Sign our Data & Site Security Agreement.

  3. We will contact you with training and onboarding information.

  4. Sign the Waiver

  5. Sign up for group monitoring events or we will work with you for solo volunteering.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need botany experience to volunteer?

A: No! Although most Rare Plant Monitoring Network volunteers have experience working with native plants or conducting ecological surveys, this is not a requirement for attending Group events or participating in the Adopt a Rare Plant Project. Feel free to let us know your level of plant and survey confidence/experience in the Comment box when you sign up, and we will connect you with appropriate volunteer opportunities.

Q: What qualities are you looking for in a volunteer?

A:

  1. Interested in plant conservation and stewardship

  2. Flexible attitude and eagerness to learn and share knowledge

  3. Ability to visually distinguish a target plant from other co-occurring plants (we will show you!)

  4. Ability to navigate and traverse uneven terrain in adverse weather conditions

  5. Ability to collect and report scientific data, attention to detail

  6. Commitment to completing at least one annual monitoring assignment

Q: What’s involved exactly, and what’s the time commitment?

A: We require that all volunteers attend our 1.5-hour training (or do it virtually). We will show you how to collect data with the RPMN monitoring protocol using a phone or tablet.

After that, time commitment is up to the individual volunteer. You may participate in group events, solo monitoring, Adopt A Rare Plant, or any combination of projects!

Group monitoring events: These events occur roughly once per month April-August. During these full-day events, you’ll go out to a site with a small group of volunteers and TUI staff. We will work together to identify rare plants on our target list, then spread out to map as many as possible in the area.

Solo monitoring: You’ll work with TUI staff to identify sites and species that have been monitored in the past, and need to be monitored again. We will provide you with a map and identification information for the target species, and you’ll go to do the monitoring work on your own schedule (within the expected bloom period for the plant).

Adopt A Rare Plant: You’ll work with the Siskiyou Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon to learn about and visit a specific rare plant population, and record information using the RPMN monitoring protocol. After that, you will visit that plant population at least once annually to record any new threats to the population. Note: The Adopt a Rare Plant Project is full for 2024; please check back in the fall for 2025 sign-ups!

Volunteer Interest Form

Fill out the form below and we will send you more information about volunteer and training opportunities. Thank you!