Volunteer at Mill Grove

Current Volunteers, click here to login to the Volunteer Information Center.

Volunteering at Mill Grove: Our mission is to educate and inspire people to cherish and protect the natural world, by preserving Audubon’s artistic, scientific, and historic legacy and celebrating the conservation movement it inspired.

Interested in becoming a part of the volunteer team? See below for contact information and a partial list of volunteer opportunities.


Volunteer Opportunities:

Property:

• Maintenance

  Small maintenance jobs always need to be done. Just a few things on our list include: small repairs, painting, changing lightbulbs, and checking filters. If you always dreamed of being a handy man this position is for you.

• Grounds

  With well over 200 acres there is a lot to do to keep our site presentable to the public. Watering plants, sweeping, leaf blowing, planting grass seed, and removing fallen branches are just a few of the many tasks that need to regularly be done. Is your yard pristine – apply here.

• Trails

  With over 9 miles of trails on property there is a great need for upkeep. Keep our trails clean, tidy, and presentable by picking up trash, marking trails, and minor trail maintenance. Are you an outdoors person or health nut – get your dose of nature and steps in by helping us here.

• Bird Care

  With multiple Non-releasable Educational Birds, volunteers are needed to feed, clean, and potentially train our winged ambassadors. Looking for experience with wild animals – volunteer for this position.

House:

• Docent (Tour Guide)

  Greet visitors and conduct tours of the Historic House Museum at Mill Grove. Tours focus on the life and artwork of famous artist & naturalist John James Audubon (1785-1851) as well as the storied history of the property. History and art nerds apply here.

• Gift-Shop/Front Desk

  Specializing in visitor relations, this position is the face of our property. Greet visitors, help answer questions about the property, ring up sales in the gift shop, and help with other small administrative tasks. Are you a People Person – this is the job you want!

• House Keeping

  Assist us with light housekeeping of the Historic House and Barn. You will help keep the museum looking clean and inviting for our visitors through vacuuming, dusting, and other basic cleaning tasks. Are you a Neat Freak – volunteer for this position

• Administrative

  Help the center keep on task with administrative tasks including data entry, filing, sorting and addressing mail, as well as other organizational activities. Have O.C.D. or like to organize your closet in your spare time – this is the job you want!

• Collections

  Assist the museum curator in a variety of tasks involving the preservation, exhibition, and documentation of museum collections.

Education:

• Adult Outreach

  Help educate the community about birds, John James Audubon, and our State wide initiatives. Programs are held for a variety of groups such as local corporations, area senior living facilities, and service organizations.

• Student Programs

  At the John James Audubon Center education is one of our primary goals. Not only do we conduct multiple field trips a year onsite but we go into local schools so that we can help educate our local youth.

• Special Events

  We hold special events on grounds every year and need education assistants to help disseminate knowledge when these occur. In addition we will go off site to take part in different events such as Expos, township meetings, etc….

Audubon PA Initiatives:

• Healthy Forests
  • Kittatinny Ridge

    Help preserve the integrity of the Kittatinny Ridge and Corridor, a rugged forested mountain surrounded by a mosaic of working lands, healthy streams, and pastoral beauty.

• Water
  • Water Quality Testing (GLOBE)

    Volunteer in the field as a citizen scientist testing local sources of water.

  • Riparian Buffer repair

    Riparian buffers are the vegetated areas bordering waterways that shade and protect them from the impact of adjacent land use. Their repair is key in increasing water quality and reducing pollution.

• Bird-Friendly communities
  • Bird Walk Leaders

    Lead bird walks for individuals ranging from first timers to seasoned birders.  Occurring Saturday mornings between 7:45AM and 10:15AM, get to experience the diversity and beauty of our local birds before the property becomes busy.  Leaders will learn our “Bird Walk Guidelines,” gain familiarity with our property, take attendance, collect and return the needed materials for the walk, and track birds seen during the tour.  Some birding expertise required and familiarity with e-bird is an added bonus.

  • Native Plant Gardens

    Native Flower Bed creation, repair, and upkeep are constant needs on property at Mill Grove. Keep things new by changing locations every time you come or if you prefer consistency, adopt one of our beds as your own. If gardening is your thing you will love this opportunity.

  • Invasive Species Removal

    Non-native species can be extremely detrimental to local wildlife. Take weed removal to a new extreme by helping us rid the property of plants that do not belong here.

  • Community Outreach & Booths

    Help reach out to the community about the importance of planting and protecting native species of plants as well as other Audubon initiatives. Volunteers are needed to work booths at community and special events such as expos, open houses, and fairs.

• Climate
  • Bluebird monitoring

    Help maintain the many bluebird boxes around the John James Audubon Center and collect much needed data on this species throughout the year. You will learn Blue Bird Box monitoring protocol, record information on breeding habits, nests and eggs, as well how to record and submit this data. Activity performed between Saturdays and Tuesdays.

  • Climate Watch

    Count birds at various times of year to help collect data about how the changing climate affects different species, their migration, and health.

Other: 
Have a special skill or want to volunteer doing something that you have not seen listed? Let us know. We will be glad to work out a volunteer position doing something you would like – just let us know.

Required application and background check forms are available to download below.

All inquiries about volunteering should be addressed to:
Michael Oscar
Volunteer and Engagement Manager
moscar@audubon.org