Support the natural areas of Burlington as a Steward!
Want to spend some quality time outside? Come join us in the wild places of Burlington by volunteering as a Burlington Wildways Steward! There are many wild places around the city where you can volunteer in this program, and this is a great way to spend time outside in your favorite spot.
Become a trail steward and help keep our city’s natural areas clean, welcoming and accessible. Looking to get your hands dirty? Become a land steward and help our partners to manage non-native invasive plant populations to support biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
Trail Stewards
Trail Stewards are volunteers who dedicate their time to helping keep the trail network of the Burlington natural areas clean, welcoming, and accessible.
Be a friendly face for visitors, submit trail issues to land managers using the reporting app, and spend time in your favorite natural areas.
This is a great option for those who routinely visit a natural area to walk their dog, catch up with friends, or for those looking to get out more regularly - everyone is welcome!
Land Stewards
Land Stewards are a recent addition to the program who support the consistent stewardship of treatment patches of introduced invasive plants.
Management takes place with a knowledgeable land manager and then on your own time or during weekly group sessions using mechanical methods of removal. You'll learn how to use the reporting app to document the progress that you've made.
Benefits
- Hands-on and virtual trainings
- Experience with introduced invasive species management
- Practice using the ArcGIS Survey123 and FieldMaps apps
- Annual appreciation events with pizza and gifts
- Periodic skill-building workshops and opportunities around trail care and vegetation management
- Opportunity for fulfilling a high-school* community service requirement
- Time spent making a difference in the natural world
*Participants must be 16+ to volunteer
Joining the program is easy!
- Create an account, select a training and complete the training videos and quizzes.
- Attend an in-person orientation with Burlington Wildways or partner staff to learn about your chosen wild place and how you can make an impact.
- Begin stewarding! You’ll be given the resources to start, learn how to use our reporting apps, and we ask that you log your hours so we can track this amazing community impact. Go out on your own, with friends, or during group volunteer sessions.
- If you would like to change your stewarding area or add another, simply attend an orientation for another natural area. While we don't offer orientations for every wild place in Burlington, our app can be used to report on trail issues anywhere!
