Invasive Species Removal
Dates: April – June
Weekly Commitment: Self-Directed
Description: Invasive plant species inhibits the growth of native plant species in its environment, preventing the growth of biodiversity needed in any ecosystem. Help our team, and the environment, reduce this invasive species through a flexible and seasonal volunteer opportunity. Volunteers can tackle this from the trails or even behind their own home. Conservancy open space is struggling against the tide of invasive species—help us fight it and create space for native plants and wildlife! By hand pulling or trimming back invasives you can make a huge impact. Reach out to us to find out what needs to be removed this time of year and how to best go about it.
Training Opportunity: Join the Ecosystem & Volunteer Training on 4th Thursdays, at 4pm. Location Varies – Please see individual links below.
Stream Monitor Volunteer Description
Volunteer frequency: once a quarter.
Description: Our waterways are a vital ecosystem in Conservancy open space and are one of the most sensitive to negative impacts. Help us conserve these spaces by working with a group to monitor streams! Get an opportunity to learn more about how we measure water quality using tools and observing what lives in the water. Training will be provided and volunteer activities will be accomplished in a group led by an experienced volunteer.
Trail Crew Maintenance
Dates: Anytime!
Weekly Commitment: Self-Directed
Description: Do you enjoy hiking the trails? Get involved in preserving our trail system by helping the Conservancy team with a variety of trail projects. Whether it be independent volunteer work, such as a small project or trash collecting, or working alongside our team on a larger project during a volunteer day, there are a variety of ways you can be involved. Key ways volunteers can help with trail maintenance include cutting back vegetation that is growing into the trails, picking up trash, or cleaning leaves and sticks out of culverts. For anyone interested in doing a trail enhancement project, such as building a bench or fixing a water crossing, we are happy to work with them on directions for such a project. Willowsford Conservancy also hosts group volunteer days on occasional weekends where we work together to create a large trail feature—stay posted on when these take place.
Bluebird Monitor
Dates: Anytime
Weekly commitment: Self-directed
Description: Help monitor our bluebird nesting box trails – maintained with a dedicated group of volunteers and help from Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy. The nesting boxes encourage a variety of native cavity-nesting songbirds, including bluebirds, chickadees, titmouse, tree swallows and house wrens. During nesting season, volunteers work as part of a team and can coordinate their schedule with the other team members to either monitor as a group or go individually. Monitoring requires volunteers to take turns inspecting the bird boxes on our blue bird trails and taking note of any activity that occurs. We collect the data and at the end of the season the Conservancy compiles the information into a report that helps us and the county manage for these birds. Training and materials provided.
Egg Washing and Packing
Dates: Tuesday & Fridays 8 AM – 4:30 PM
Weekly commitment: 2 hours
Description: This volunteer will wash, pack and label our Farm fresh eggs. This role requires a frequent commitment and can be more fun with company, so invite your friends to join you for an EGGciting time! Must be able to lift 30 lbs. and able to meticulously follow directions to ensure food-safety rules are followed. *Training is required for this role.
Sign up to volunteer here
Special Projects
Dates: Year-Round
Weekly Commitment: Self-Directed
Description: Have a special skill set or want to help us with a project at the farm? There are plenty of projects and possibilities here, and we’re open to others. Build a bat box? Paint a welcome sign? Have a project proposition or need help completing a Scout badge? Bring your outline and implementation plan to us and we’ll see if we can help make it happen! Reach our team, here.
Photography
Dates: Anytime
Weekly Commitment: Self-Directed
Description: The Conservancy is looking for help capturing the beauty of wildlife, native plants and habitat on Conservancy land, to use for our publications. Volunteers can work on their own schedule to, over time, help us develop a working collection of quality, high resolution images. Turtle photo credit: Jenny S.
Wildlife Monitor
Dates: Anytime!
Weekly Commitment: Self-Directed
Description: Because of Willowsford Conservancy’s unique location, a wide array of wildlife exists in its preserved open spaces. Participate in wildlife conservation by volunteering as a wildlife monitor and surveying for animal species, monitoring a box for one of many bird species, or helping our team create wildlife habitat for unique species. Wildlife surveying is done independently by volunteers taking to the trail systems and documenting certain species, such as birds or amphibians, using iNaturalist. We have several sites that have boxes that need to be monitored for screech owls, wood ducks, and bat activity. Or volunteers can help us by creating more habitat spaces, such as building bird boxes or amphibian hibernacula.
CSA Host – Boat House
Dates: Thursdays from 3:45 – 6 PM
Weekly commitment: 2+ Hours
Description: CSA Distribution Hosts are responsible for greeting their neighbors and assisting with distribution of shares. We have two distribution locations – the Willowsford Boat House and Farm Stand. We ask that hosts be willing to commit to being present at pick-up for the majority of the season, with the option to trade days and locations with other volunteer hosts. Sign up to volunteer, here.
CSA Host – Farm Stand
Dates: Thursdays & Saturdays
Weekly commitment: 2-4 hours
Description: CSA distribution is a great way to meet neighbors and help the Farm distribute shares. Two shifts per distribution are available to help make this opportunity more accessible to those with busy schedules. Sign up to volunteer, here!
Wednesday Produce Bagging
Dates: Every Wednesday from June 1st to October 26th 1 PM – 4:30PM
Weekly commitment: 1.5 hours
Description: Lend a hand by helping the Farm Team pre-pack produce to be distributed through the CSA and the Online Farm Store. Come and learn about the produce grown on the farm, spend time with other community members and the Farm Team, and see the inner workings of Willowsford Farm.
*Food safety training is required for this role.
Sign up to volunteer here.
Thursday CSA Share Packing
Dates: Every Thursday from June 2nd to October 27th 8 AM – 12PM
Weekly commitment: 2 hours
Description: The produce has been grown and is now ready to be packed into CSA boxes for pickup or delivery. Volunteers work with the Farm team to pack CSA boxes while learning about the veggies grown on the farm. Come and share in this effort to make locally grown produce available to our community.
*Food Safety training is required for this role.
Sign up to volunteer here.
Harvest Tote & CSA Box Washing
Dates: Every Friday from 9:00am-12:00pm and 12:00pm-3:00pm
Weekly commitment: 2-3 hours
Description: Lend a hand to our farmers and help clean harvest totes and CSA boxes to prepare for the next harvest and delivery! This activity is moderately strenuous and requires significant periods of standing. We ask that all volunteers commit to help for at least 2 hours of their selected 3 hour shift.
*Food Safety training is required for this role.
Sign up to volunteer here.
