Volunteers:

View a Gallery of volunteers at work.

There are currently over 100 dedicated volunteers assisting NPWS along the South Coast.
Community volunteers play a vital and significant role in assisting with the monitoring and protection of numerous South Coast breeding sites.

The endeavours of us volunteers have been central to the protection of shorebird nesting colonies and have enabled the program to increase its coverage and the number of sites managed.

The combined actions and recovery efforts of us volunteers, with NPWS, community based organisations, and other government agencies will undoubtedly help to ensure the continued survival of breeding shorebirds on the south coast of NSW.

Joining the Volunteer Team:

Volunteering your time, even just for a few hours, can make a difference!

All NPWS shorebird volunteers participate in initial orientation and training before becoming formally involved.  Ongoing guidance and assistance for volunteers is provided by the Shorebird Rangers.  Volunteers are also provided with essential equipment and clothing to undertake their duties, such as gloves, long sleeved shirts and hats.

It’s also a great way to meet people with a common interest in shorebirds!

Volunteers duties include assisting with:

  • Erecting temporary habitat protection measures, such as string and/or electric fences, and interpretative or directional signage
  • Maintenance of any fences/signs erected
  • Sandbagging nest sites under threat of inundation
  • Surveying beaches and estuaries for any shorebird nesting activity and reporting this to the shorebird coordinator
  • Monitoring of key shorebird nesting sites
  • Public education, by answering questions from the public and handing out brochures

Volunteers participating in the program also gain a wide range of skills including bird identification skills, field skills, construction and maintenance skills and also effective communication skills.   In addition, we have all gained satisfaction that our efforts have directly contributed to the conservation of threatened shorebirds in the NSW south coast.

If you would like to join us and become a shorebird volunteer please go to the Contact page and get in touch with NPWS.