Calling all college student and early career treehuggers, nature lovers, animal advocates and climate activists in the Bay Area!

The California Academy of Sciences recently launched the Volunteers for Nature (VN) program, uniting volunteers to support local conservation efforts and forge lasting connections with nature and each other as part of our Thriving California initiative. We aim to engage and empower Bay Area college students and early career professionals  in exploring the field of conservation science through nature-based volunteerism, while leveraging all the incredible work being done locally. 

You can join this program by participating in one of our place-based chapters. Currently, we have an active San Francisco chapter. 

For more context on program chapters:

  • Chapters will be place-based but not college-specific, meaning any college student or early career professional who wants to join a chapter is welcome to do so with the knowledge that volunteer work will take place in that given area.
  • By joining a chapter, you will be able to participate on a bimonthly basis (twice a month), with a virtual meeting to discuss plans and developments once a month in addition to a group volunteer outing at a partner site once a month. You can expect to commit approximately 5 hours a month if actively participating. 
  • The SF chapter generally meets virtually the first Wednesday of each month from 6-7:30pm. Chapter outings occur the 3rd or 4th Saturday of the month, depending on that partner's availability. 
  • These are free-flowing chapters, meaning you do not need to commit to any specific amount of time to participate. That being said, we will give a Certificate of Completion to active members who stick around throughout at least 6 chapter rotations and complete one individual volunteer project with a partner site.

By volunteering together and rotating through local conservation efforts, you'll have the chance to explore the field, gain valuable hands-on experience, foster a sense of belonging and purpose in nature and become the next generation of scientific experts and leaders while doing so. 

We appreciate you taking the time to fill out this application, and we look forward to building this network of nature champions!