RESOURCES FOR
Volunteers
Find a Volunteer Opportunity
Under the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation, Canada’s conservation approach focuses on targeting multiple species and ecosystems in each Priority Place. On this page you will find volunteer opportunities from members of the Kespukwitk Conservation Collaborative. These volunteer opportunities reflect conservation efforts for a wide range of species and ecosystems in Southwest Nova Scotia/Kespukwitk. With volunteer opportunities in the field, or those that can be done from home, there is something for nature-lovers of all ages and experience levels!
Search Opportunities
Atlantic Canada Bank Swallow Monitoring Project
Monitor a route to help Bank Swallow colonies
You can help monitor Bank Swallow colonies in Atlantic Canada. Bank Swallows are listed as threatened in Canada, with a population decline of 98% over the last 50 years. Volunteers can walk a route along a beach or pit/quarry, recording colony information and habitat information. Volunteers only need to monitor a route once a year between June 1 and July 31.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Atlantic Nocturnal Owl Survey
Become a citizen scientist and help monitor owl populations
The Atlantic Nocturnal Owl Survey is a program where Citizen Scientists in Atlantic Canada conduct roadside surveys for owls on pre-assigned routes each spring. It is a great opportunity for local residents to help track the health of owl populations that breed in our Atlantic forests. As the survey is very popular, there are currently no vacant routes in the Kespukwitk area, but we encourage interested volunteers to sign up for NatureCounts to regularly check our route availability map.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Barn Swallow Monitoring
Help monitor Barn swallows using a fillable questionnaire
Do you have Barn swallows nesting on your property? Monitoring Barn swallow nests for nesting activity can be a fun and rewarding experience! If you would be willing to volunteer some time to monitor the nesting pairs on your property, from a respectful distance, MTRI and Birds Canada are interested in knowing more about the success rate of your nesters.
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Bat Monitoring
Keep an eye out for bats on your property and beyond!
Help monitor bat populations in Nova Scotia by reporting sightings. These sightings help influence recovery and conservation efforts for bats in the province. Looking for bats, or signs of bats, on your own property is a great place to start!
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Bat Surveys
Help MTRI perform bat surveys
Join members of the MTRI team out in the field as they conduct bat surveys. Bat surveys take place in the dark, and often in very buggy conditions. If you are comfortable in these conditions reach out for more information.
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Beach Habitat Clean Up At Kejimkujik Seaside
Keep shoreline garbage out of Keji Seaside!
Help keep our shoreline clean! Get involved with a beach habitat cleanup at Kejimkujik Seaside. Gather shoreline garbage and leave behind a more natural landscape and healthier habitat. There are two cleanup dates in partnership with Scotian Shores: April 14Â & November 10, 2024. Please respect the beach restrictions during Piping plover nesting.
Organization: Parks Canada
County: Queens
Email: [email protected]
Bird Species at Risk Breeding Surveys
Use sight and sound to identify birds and conduct breeding surveys
Survey volunteers will conduct point counts at assigned field sites. Survey protocol and data sheets will be provided. Survey season takes place from mid-May to mid-July.
Organization: Clean Annapolis River Project
County: Annapolis, Digby, Kings
Email: [email protected]
Blanding’s Turtle Nesting
Help us monitor the nests of this endangered turtle species
Help us by monitoring and protecting Blanding’s turtle nesting sites with enclosures in June. Or, monitor the emergence of turtle hatchlings from their nests from September to October.
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: Annapolis, Queens
Email: [email protected]
Blanding’s Turtle Surveys
Keep your eyes peeled for Blanding's turtles during these surveys
Do you enjoy slogging through wetlands? Help with Blanding’s turtle monitoring by volunteering to help with visual surveys or radio tracking. This opportunity is open from June to November. You can also help by reporting sightings of any Blanding’s turtles that you see in your travels.
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: Annapolis, Queens
Email: [email protected]
Campground Host at Kejimkujik
Share your love of Kejimkujik with other campers
Campground Hosts are friendly, outgoing individuals who share their vast experience and passion for Kejimkujik with other campers for 1-2 weeks through the camping season. Hosts help with special events and provide campers with warm welcomes and information on trails, programs, and local services. You can become a campground host between mid-May and mid-October.
Organization: Friends of Keji
County: Annapolis, Queens
Email: [email protected]
Canadian Nightjar Survey
Help these species at risk through road-side surveys
Help us map the distribution and monitor the population trends of the Common Nighthawk (Special Concern) and Eastern Whip-poor-will (Threatened). Road-side surveys are conducted in June and July.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Clean Annapolis River Project’s special events
Help support special events at CARP
CARP hosts a variety of public outreach events, such as guided hikes, workshops, lectures, fundraisers, and more! Help support these events through assisting with set up, planning, promoting events, taking registration, etc.
Organization: Clean Annapolis River Project
County: Annapolis, Kings
Email: [email protected]
Coastal Action
Coastal Action Volunteer Database & Newsletter Sign-up
Interested in planting trees, shoreline cleanups, ​youth leadership, bird and reptile species surveys, ​and more? Sign up for Coastal Action’s Volunteer Database & Newsletter to be notified when volunteer opportunities that match your interests become available.
Organization: Coastal Action
County: Lunenburg
Email: [email protected]
Eastern Ribbonsnakes
Report all Eastern Ribbonsnake sightings using the NS Herp Atlas
Help us learn more about where Eastern Ribbonsnakes are found in southwest Nova Scotia by reporting sightings!
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: Annapolis, Lunenburg, Queens
Email: [email protected]
LoonWatch
Help us study Loons across Nova Scotia
Loons in Nova Scotia have the highest blood mercury levels in North America. Help us study Loons across lakes in Nova Scotia. Two LoonWatch events occur in Kejimkujik each year in May and August.
Organization: Parks Canada
County: Annapolis, Queens
Email: [email protected]
Maritimes Marsh Monitoring Program
Contribute to healthy wetlands through bird monitoring
Help monitor secretive marsh bird species and contribute to our understanding of the health of wetlands. Volunteers visit a marsh survey route twice between June 1 and July 15 to do early morning point counts.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Milkweed & Monarch Monitoring
Become a milkweed monitor today!
Help Monarch butterflies by participating in the milkweed monitoring project in Nova Scotia. Participate in a training module and start completing milkweed surveys in your community! Milkweed monitoring typically begins in July and extends into October, however casual monarch sightings can be submitted any time at [email protected].
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Nature Conservancy of Canada
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada's leading national land conservation organization
Join NCC staff for events to carry out important conservation actions on our nature reserves, such as removing marine debris from coastal areas, maintaining publicly used trails, removing invasive species, and carrying out bird surveys. Or, help by keeping a watchful eye on our nature reserves through monitoring the property’s condition, noting species of interest, and reporting issues as a volunteer property or trail steward. Stewards may also help maintain trails or install signs.
Organization: Nature Conservancy of Canada
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Nature Mentor Program
CARP is seeking experienced naturalists, ecologists, and scientists who are willing to share their knowledge & experience
Volunteer mentors will work with CARP to identify the skills they would like to share, preferred location, preferred age group to work with, appropriate timing, and other details. These details will be used to pair novice naturalists with appropriate mentors.
Organization: Clean Annapolis River Project
County: Annapolis, Digby, Kings
Email: [email protected]
Nova Scotia Herp Atlas
Become a citizen scientist and help us track Nova Scotia's Herps!
We are a collective of organizations and individuals of all ages and abilities that study Reptiles and Amphibians (Herps) in Nova Scotia. This project will tell us about the distribution and abundance of herps in our province and we need your help!
Organization: Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Piping Plover Conservation Program
Protect piping plovers with Birds Canada
You can help monitor and protect Piping Plovers and their habitat. Volunteers walk along beaches from late April to August to monitor Piping Plovers, look for any disturbances, educate beachgoers, and survey potential habitat.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: Antigonish, Cape Breton, Halifax, Inverness, Lunenburg, Pictou, Queens, Shelburne, Victoria
Email: [email protected]
Project NestWatch
Help gather valuable information on nesting birds in Nova Scotia
Help us monitor nesting activity of various bird species in Nova Scotia through this long-term citizen science program.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Space to Roost
Spend your summer protecting migrating shorebird roosting beaches
Tens of thousands of migrating shorebirds stop in the Minas Basin each year to feed on the mudflats and rest on the shore to refuel before flying non-stop to South America. Help us monitor shorebird roosting beaches and reduce human disturbance to resting shorebirds from late July to September. Surveys take place from 2 hours before to 2 hours after high tide.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: Kings
Email: [email protected]
SwiftWatch
Become a Chimney Swift steward today!
Help us monitor roosting locations of endangered Chimney Swifts through the SwiftWatch citizen science program. Roost counts are conducted in May and June and nest sites can be reported all summer.
Organization: Birds Canada
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Volunteer Fishing
Climb the fish ladder in Kejimkujik’s volunteer fishing program!
Fill out your angler diary and help remove invasive Chain pickerel from our waterways from April to August. Are you an experienced fly fisher? You can also contribute to Brook trout research through the Brook Trout Creel Census from April to June 30th.
Organization: Parks Canada
County: Annapolis, Queens
Email: [email protected]
Wilderness Property Guardians
Join the Wilderness Property Guardian volunteer team at the Nova Scotia Nature Trust
These volunteers have advanced outdoor skills and are assigned to monitor our more remote and rugged wilderness properties. If this sounds like a challenge that you would enjoy, please contact Nova Scotia Nature Trust.
Organization: Nova Scotia Nature Trust
County: All Nova Scotia
Email: [email protected]
Wood Turtle Monitoring and Stewardship
Help with visual surveys, nesting surveys, and nest protection for wood turtles.
You can help protect wood turtles in one of two ways. In June, participate in nest surveying and monitoring for hatchlings over a 60 day period. Or, you can help protect wood turtles year-round by spreading awareness and providing outreach to community members on how to reduce threats to nesting turtles.
Organization: Clean Annapolis River Project
County: Annapolis, Kings
Email: [email protected]