Get Involved
Join our Volunteer Team!
Volunteering is a great opportunity to share your love of nature and learn about our refuges and forest. Plus we offer some great incentives, including training with our staff naturalists and biologists, as well as Nature Store and Loggerhead Apparel discounts. After 40 hours of service Cape Romain and Francis Marion National Forest volunteers even receive reciprocity passes for free admission to many area attractions, like the SC Aquarium and Magnolia Gardens.
Become a Teaching Assistant in our environmental education programs at Waccamaw, Cape Romain and ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuges and the Francis Marion National Forest. Our scientific investigation programs for elementary and middle school students are all about getting kids outdoors and active and giving them the opportunity to come to identify with science as something they want to seek out, engage in, and contribute to. We want our kids to understand that science isn’t just in power point slides and the periodic table; it’s being curious about everything around you and discovering some of the amazing plants and animals that are right here in our community! Although we love to find experienced teachers prior teaching experience is not required. In fact some of our best volunteers are those who just love nature like naturalists, birders and anglers. We have a great training program that will teach you all about the amazing ecosystems on our refuges and forest. All you need is to love the outdoors and working with kids! Student internships are available.
Visitor Service Associates: are needed at the Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center and Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. Our visitor center volunteer staff connect the public with all the amazing habitats, species and recreational opportunities on the refuges and forest. Experienced birders, master naturalists, kayakers and anglers are a great fit, but all that is required is a love of nature and willingness to learn. We provide training, including “in the field” experience! Our visitor center volunteers also assist with Nature Store operations, center administrative activities and education animal husbandry.
Special Events Volunteers: If your schedule won’t permit you to make a regular time commitment teaching or interpreting at one of the visitor centers consider helping with special events like Music and Oysters for Wildlife or our Bulls Island Tours. Our volunteers help with silent auctions, event day logistics and publicity. This is FUN!!!
Other projects: There are also many other volunteer opportunities on the forest and refuges, including facilities and equipment maintenance, landscaping, development and maintenance of trails, invasive species eradication projects and species management projects like loggerhead sea turtle nest protection efforts. Just let us know your area of interest and skills.