GVI Volunteer Recruitment, Training and Support

Traditionally our towns have depended heavily upon their commissions to make vital decisions regarding land use and planning. The commissions are made up of volunteers with a variety of backgrounds and natural resource education. In some towns there is a shortage of people stepping forward.

In attempt to educate and encourage new volunteers to become active within their towns The Green Valley Institute holds a weekend retreat called,” A New Introduction To The Natural World” where new community volunteers get a crash course in natural resources and the impacts of land use decisions.

The results have been that GVI has trained numerous volunteers who have: 

• Revitalized and focused conservation commissions to be more pro active in creating natural resource inventories resulting in town conservation plans and land conservation.
• Participated as volunteers on land trust boards or as land stewards.
• Become part of the volunteer GVI Bush Brigade that adds to the land trusts’ or towns’ work force to maintain trails and properties. 
• Become part of a community of advocates for the Last Green Valley and its pursuit of saving what constitutes its uniqueness.
• Continued their education and others on their commissions by participating in GVI’s on going educational outreach programs.

The GVI Volunteer Program works with land trusts and towns to place willing volunteers. Volunteers bring with them a variety of useful skills such as computer graphics or mapping, knowledge of plants, ability to organize information or marketing. A balance of knowledge and good working skills can mean a group of volunteers can share the workload of a commission or board and successfully be pro active in their approach.

If you are interested in becoming a conservation volunteer please contact Ruth Cutler at ruth.cutler@uconn.edu.