Category Archives: Robert Barossi

environmental volunteers, National Elk Refuge, Robert Barossi, Uncategorized, Wyoming

Volunteering For the Summer

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Rocks in Still Water(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

Here in New England, there are many areas where the population swells in the summer. On Cape Cod, the coast of Maine and down in southern Rhode Island, many people arrive in the late spring and stay just until the weather gets cold enough to motivate the return trip south. This great story out of National Elk Refuge in Wyoming introduces us to some people who don’t spend their summers at the beach house enjoying the warm weather, sand and surf. They choose to jump in their RV and head to a National Wildlife Refuge to spend the summer working as volunteers. At many refuges, there aren’t many paid, full-time staffers and these summer volunteers make a huge difference, performing essential tasks all season long. Monitoring wildlife, protecting habitat, leading tours and providing visitors with educational classes or demonstrations are just a few of the jobs filled by these summertime environmental heroes.

More information here on National Elk Refuge. While the story focuses on that refuge, many volunteers spend the summer at other refuges in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Fairfield Osborn Preserve, Robert Barossi, Sonoma State University, Uncategorized

Volunteers as Both Stewards and Educators

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Underwater Leaves(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

Many hats are worn by environmental volunteers. For a large number of them, maybe most of them, they must wear those varied hats while working for just one organization or at only one location. They  might help out in the office one day, lead tours or give classes another day, help with mailings another day and assist with cleanup projects on another. At Sonoma State University, community volunteers lead some of the educational and land stewardship efforts at the university-owned Fairfield Osborn Perserve. While the preserve is used only for research and education, it’s not open for public recreation, volunteers have an active role including acting as naturalists, classroom presenters and trail crew members, according to a university’s website.

More information here on the Fairfield Osborn Perserve.

environmental volunteers, invasive species, Robert Barossi, Salvinia weevil, Uncategorized

Raising Weevils

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IMG_0203(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

When I was interviewing volunteers for my book, I spoke to a mother and daughter who were volunteer “beetle ranchers.” They were working with Neponset River Watershed Association to help raise beetles which, when released, would help reduce or eliminate Purple loosestrife in areas along the Neponset River. In this great story from the Shreveport Times, volunteers are part of a similar process down south. Salvinia weevils are being raised in a recently completed greenhouse, one which volunteers helped to construct. The volunteers will also be helping to raise the weevils so that “as many weevils as possible” can be released into “selected areas” of Caddo Lake. The goal is to reduce or eliminate Salvinia, an invasive weed which has been spreading through bodies of water throughout the area.

More information here from the Greater Caddo Lake Association, the lead organization on the project. Also some information on the lake and issues it faces from the Caddo Lake Institute as well as the Giant Salvinia Control Team.

Australia, environmental volunteers, Robert Barossi, seabird rescue, Uncategorized

Saving Seabirds from Oil Spills

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ID-10079108(Photo by Vlado, courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

by Robert Barossi

The problem of oil spills and their devastating impact is not new. And it’s not going away any time soon. Unfortunately, it seems likely to get worse, as new pipelines are built on land and offshore drilling sites are created at sea. This article from Australia describes one innovative and creative way that volunteers are helping to save seabirds who are caught in the mess of an oil spill. They have modified a shipping container and turned into a facility where volunteers can be trained how to save oiled birds. This great idea seems like something that could be replicated pretty much anywhere, giving volunteers in any location similar opportunities to learn what to do when helping wildlife after an oil spill. The more people who can lend a hand and help out, after getting the proper training  in a unique facility such as this one, the more birds and other animals that can be saved.

For some more information about how Australians are helping sea birds, especially those in danger from oil spills, check out Australian Seabird Rescue

environmental volunteers, Northeast Florida Aquatic Preserves, Robert Barossi, Saltmarsh Cordgrass

Watching Grass Grow

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IMG_1538(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

Ok, I admit it. At first, that doesn’t sound all that exciting, watching grass grow. But, in fact, it’s not only exciting in an environmental and ecological context, it’s also essential work. The grass in this case is Saltmarsh Cordgrass (or Spartina alterniflora), an extremely important part of the ecosystem in marshes along the Florida coast. As the article states, “The grass is the foundation for a whole web of marsh life that brings both work and play to the region.” Also mentioned in the article is that volunteers will be helping to do some of the work involved in important studies, including pulling out individual grass plants and replanting them in areas where they can do the most good. This kind of work is becoming more and more important as sea levels rise, which will cause as-yet-unknown impacts to coasts and coastal marshes. Volunteers will no doubt be out there helping to implement the solutions to those impacts or perhaps helping to  prevent them before they happen.

The Saltmarsh Cordgrass project is under the auspices of the Northeast Florida Aquatic Preserves and the study is primarily taking place in the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.

 

environmental volunteers, habitat restoration, Onondaga Lake, Robert Barossi, wetlands

Shaping the Shoreline

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 Onondaga_Lake_Park(Photo by Joegrimes at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons)

by Robert Barossi

This story came to me from my friend (and fellow Green Mountain College alum) Christine Harris. On the environmental blog The Ecotone Exchange, you will find of excellent articles, well worth reading. The story comes from upstate New York, where members of the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps are actually creating a new wetland through their work, which includes planting native shrubs and trees and building habitat structures. This very hands-on work is both inspiring and educational and will go a long way towards protecting the habitats and species of the lake’s shoreline. It’s also likely to increase awareness among the human population and foster a greater connection to this precious natural area.

Check out more information on the Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps here. And some great photos form the project are here.

environmental volunteers, James River, river cleanup, Robert Barossi

Volunteers Who Never Tire

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IMG_1101(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

I don’t usually post stories about upcoming volunteer events (although maybe I should start doing more of that). This one struck me for a couple of reasons. First, it takes place along the James River in Virginia. Having spent a year living in southern Virginia (although not on the James itself) it is one of my favorite places in the U.S. Secondly, while there are many river cleanups that occur all across the country and around the world, throughout the year, this one is unique in that it focuses on just one thing: Tires. Finally, I was also struck by the fact that a  number of organizations are involved and there’s also a major corporation, Bridgestone involved. They will be hauling away and recycling all the retrieved tires.

Groups involved include James River Association, Virginia Canals and Navigation Society and Heart of Viginia Council Boy Scouts of America.

 

environmental volunteers, Robert Barossi, Uncategorized, wildlife rehabilitation

One Volunteer’s Experience

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Foliage Reflected(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

Been coming across a lot of stories lately that focus on volunteers who work in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation. This one struck me because it’s in the volunteer’s own words, talking about her own personal experience. In a story out of Ontario, Paolina Lioren tells of her volunteer adventure and ends with a great line, “I look forward to doing it all over again next spring/summer, because, at the end of the day, every life matters and that’s what really counts!”

The organization Paolina worked with, Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, can be found here.

Australia, environmental volunteers, Robert Barossi, Uncategorized, wildlife rescue

Helping Wildlife in Australia

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IMG_1860(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

When it comes to wildlife, it’s their planet and we’re just living on it. No matter where humans live, they are going to come into contact with all types of wildlife. Where I live in Massachusetts, there are constant stories about deer, coyotes and bears, often found roaming the suburbs. There are also numerous stories of deer being hit by cars and either wounded or killed. That sort of dangerous and deadly contact with wildlife happens everywhere and it is often volunteers who help to nurse or rehabilitate the wounded animals. This article from Australia describes the massive number of animals who are killed in accidents with motorists. It also mentions volunteers who help to rescue and rehabilitate the animals, including kangaroos, wallabies, possums and many other species.

More information here bout the Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service, which leads much of the effort.

Delaware, environmental volunteers, Robert Barossi, Uncategorized, wetlands

Appreciating and Honoring Volunteers

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436(Photo by Robert Barossi)

by Robert Barossi

I feel pretty confident in saying that not one of the volunteers I interviewed for my book ever did anything for any kind of public recognition, attention or reward. Volunteers do what they do for a myriad of reasons but it’s almost never for the recognition, even though they often deserve it. Most, if not all, organizations do recognize and reward or thank their volunteers, often with an annual event or ceremony of some kind. This story from Delaware’s Cape Region, found on CapeGazette.com, describes on such event. According to the article, “Wetland Warrior Award, now in its seventh year, is presented annually to a citizen, organization, or business that has demonstrated exemplary efforts to benefit Delaware wetlands in the areas of outreach and education, monitoring and assessment, or restoration and protection.” From the sound of it, this years recipients truly deserved the recognition.