Volunteer

Volunteers helping at Bird Seed Sale

The New Hope Bird Alliance is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff members or offices, so we cannot achieve our goals for conservation and education without the help of many volunteers. Depending on how much time and energy you would like to put into helping us, there are many volunteer opportunities. For example, you can simply help out with a one-day project, help staff a table at a special event, or help with one of our bird counts. If you are able to make a bigger commitment, you can serve on a committee such as our conservation or our education committees (see list below) or run for one of our elected offices or serve on our Board of Directors.

Tell us your interests and GET INVOLVED! Fill out our VOLUNTEER FORM today.

SEE THE COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS BELOW.

To stay informed, you can also join our Facebook Group, “like” our Facebook Page, and/or sign up to receive emails from us (links at the bottom of this page) since these are the places where we will announce volunteer opportunities. Also you can always contact us directly with volunteer interests and questions at [email protected].

Committees and descriptions

• Advocacy Committee: Includes advocacy for local environmental issues; advocacy for Audubon NC and National Audubon action alerts and priorities; and promotion of Audubon NC’s annual Advocacy Day.
• Bird Friendly Habitat Committee: Includes the residential Bird Friendly Habitat Certification program, working with retail and wholesale garden centers to promote native plants; the Corporate Bird Friendly Habitat Certification program; and the Bird Friendly Communities program, working with municipalities to promote bird friendly actions such as planting native plants, removing invasive plants, and sponsoring other bird friendly activities.
• Community Science Committee: Includes all bird counts (Quarterly Eagle Count, Christmas and Spring Bird Counts, Breeding Bird and Mini-Breeding Bird Surveys), Climate Watch and Stream Watch.
• Conservation Committee: Includes Important Bird Area positions (Jordan Lake and Eno River) and the Wildlife Observation Platform. This committee addresses conservation activities (other than those covered by the Bird Friendly Habitat Committee) including evaluations of land being developed; Chimney Swift conservation; promotion and donation of bird houses; and support of conservation by other organizations such as Sandy Creek Park, Triangle Land Conservancy, and the North Carolina Botanical Garden.
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee: This committee works with the NHAS Board of Directors and with NHAS committees to advance the goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion within NHAS leadership, volunteers, and activities. This includes building EDI knowledge and skills of chapter members; working to develop and strengthen relationships with diverse groups and partners; helping to integrate EDI values in chapter culture and programs; and tracking the chapter’s progress. The committee also develops programs to further these goals.
• Development Committee: This committee coordinates all fund-raising activities including grant applications. Includes position of Bird Seed Sale Coordinator and sales of bird houses.
• Education Committee: Promotes bird watching and bird friendly activities to the public in a number of venues including schools, libraries, and public events. This committee also promotes family bird walks and nature camp activities.
• Field Trips Committee: Includes all field trip activities and all bird walks.
• Media and Communications Committee: Includes management of all platforms for communicating with members such as: all social media (Facebook, Instagram, Meetup, etc.), email listservs, newspaper articles, and Google groups for the board and standing committees. Includes Webmaster, Blog Editor, and Archivist positions.
• Membership Committee: Includes Programs, Hospitality, Engagement, and Recruitment.

Help with chimney swifts:

Spring: Chimney swifts are returning to nest in chimneys in our area during April-June. Please report if you know a nesting location or a pair is nesting in your chimney. While in the fall many chimney swifts will roost in a chimney (100s or even 1,000s), only one pair will use a chimney for rearing young. NHAS is trying to map nesting and roosting locations. Consider uncapping your chimney to help chimney swifts have more places for nesting. Please send nesting information to Barbara Driscoll at [email protected].
Fall: NHAS needs volunteers who will count Chimney Swifts near the downtown Chapel Hill post office (179 E. Franklin Street) and locations in Durham (beginning in 2020). Chimney Swifts are reliably using several chimney roosts in downtown Chapel Hill. We need volunteers to take shifts starting about 45 minutes before dusk leading up to and during the birds going into the roost chimney in the evening. NHAS can provide training and information on chimney swifts for interested by-standers. If you would like to help with this project during September and early October, please contact Barbara Driscoll at [email protected].