We're moving!

With the major renovation of the champlain.edu website about to happen, we're moving our blogs to a new site. Come visit!  http://sustain.champlain.edu/

"Rivers of Ice: Vanishing Glaciers of the Greater Himalaya" with David Breashears at Middlebury College, March 7th

The Himalaya are home to the world’s most magnificent peaks and thousands of high-altitude glaciers. These important glaciers supply crucial seasonal flows to rivers across Asia, yet many are disappearing at an increasing rate. “Rivers of Ice” presents recent photographs by mountaineer and photographer David Breashears of the world’s least studied glaciers alongside archival images taken over the past century by the world’s greatest alpine photographers. The comparison starkly reveals the alarming loss of ice during the intervening years.

Dana Auditorium

Middlebury College
Thursday, March 7th, 7:00pm
Free and open to the public

 

Green Mountain Club Volunteer Opportunities!

Volunteer Opportunities

The Green Mountain Club has a variety of volunteer opportunities for any time of year! Please ask as about helping out with projects on and off Vermont's Long Trail.  For more information about any of the opportunities listed below please contact:

Mari Zagarins
Director of Membership and Volunteer Services

phone: (802) 241-8324
email: mzagarins@greenmountainclub.org

Browse through the list below to view our most current opportunities, then fill out our online Volunteer Application form. Be sure to indicate any and all areas in which you are willing to help!   

Ongoing Field Opportunities

Bark Mulch Packers
Mulch Packers carry 40-50 lb. bags of bark mulch into backcountry shelters over rugged terrain for use at composting privy sites. This is an excellent opportunity to prepare for backpacking trips and scheduling is flexible to meet your needs.

 

Volunteer Long Trail Patrol
Ever wanted to run away to the woods for a week or two? People of all ages and experience can volunteer to help the GMC's trail crew with maintenance projects. Click here to read an interview with VLTP co-leaders Swami and Duck Feet!

  

Volunteer Summit Caretakers

GMC Summit Caretakers are stationed on Camels Hump and Mount Mansfield during the hiking season to educate visitors on how to minimize their impacts. The summits of these mountains are especially sensitive because they are above treeline and support many species of rare and endangered alpine plants. Training is provided by qualified GMC staff and volunteers. 

 

Section Work OutingsCheck our Calendar of Events for work hikes organized and led by your local GMC section.  A great way to meet other GMC volunteers!

 

Adopt a Trail or ShelterHelp enhance the hiking experience for everyone by becoming a Long Trail adopter.  We can help you get started on basic maintenance of a trail or shelter.  Whether you want to volunteer on your own, with your family, or with your outing group, maintaining the Long Trail is a great way to give a little back to the Green Mountains.  For a current listing of available trails and shelters, contact Mari.

 

Land Protection & Stewardship MonitorsThe GMC Stewardship Program needs your help to monitor over 30,000 acres of Long Trail and Appalachian Trail conservation lands in Vermont.  Volunteer Corridor Monitors regularly walk protected lands to ensure that conservation restrictions are being upheld and the trail is vigilantly defended.  Monitors wander off the beaten path into the woods of Vermont to help maintain boundaries, gather natural history information, map property features, and keep an eye out for illegal encroachments and violations.  For more information on available Long Trail and Appalachian Trail parcels to monitor contact Pete Antos-Ketcham email: pantosketcham@greenmountainclub.org.  

 

Sign Routers
Volunteers are needed to produce GMC signs as needed or requested. Individuals must be willing to follow the criteria for materials, design, and construction and demonstrate the ability to rout letters to GMC standards. Volunteers willing to work on their own with their own tools and materials are encouraged. 

 

Hikers' Resources

 

Shuttle Drivers

Help hikers get to trailheads.  With limited public transportation in Vermont, long-distance hikers often need a hand to get to trailheads. Add your name to a list of contacts willing to pick up and drop off hikers. You may charge for gas. Contact Jen Donley, email: jdonley@greenmountainclub.org.

 

Publications & Communications

 

Illustrators, Artists, and PhotographersHelp keep GMC publications and printed materials looking fresh. A variety of mediums are accepted. Mail samples to Megan Duni: mduni@greenmountainclub.org.

 

Long Trail News WritersIf you enjoy writing about the outdoors, about issues facing the hiking community, or like the challenge of writing assignments, become a contributor to the GMC newsletter. Send writing samples to Susan Shea: sshea@greenmountainclub.org.

 

Outreach & Education

 

GMC AmbassadorsVolunteers are needed to represent the GMC at various festivals, events, and gatherings throughout the state. No experience necessary - just a love for the Long Trail and willingness to share information! GMC outreach volunteers have worked at a variety of community events in the past, including GMC Ski weekends at Mad River Glen, the VT History Expo, Solarfest, and more. Contact Mari for information about specific events.

 

GMC Headquarters - Waterbury Center, VT

 

Thursday Volunteers help with a wide range of administrative projects every Thursday at GMC headquarters. Experience not necessary.  

 

Maintenance Assistants work with the Facilities Manager on projects in and around the Visitor Center. Particular assignments will be based on volunteers' own interests and skills. Contact Pete Antos-Ketcham for more information: pantosketcham@greenmountainclub.org.

Branch Out Burlington! 2013 Special Events

January-April: Annual Tree Sale--To view selections or place an order, go to: www.branchoutburlinton.org or contact Kyle Albee: 802-862-6084 kyle@northstarleasing.com

April 2nd:  Tuesday 6-8pm Tree Keeper Training, Parks and Rec Building, 645 Pine St.

May 4th: Saturday 9am Tree Planting and Tree Sale Pickup, Burlington Community Tree Nursery, UVM Hort. Research Center, 65 Green Mountain Dr., So. Burlington

June 8th:  Saturday 10am Annual Tree Walk, Mansfield Ave., Burlington. Check their website for details.

June 11th, July 9th: (5:30-7:30 pm) & August 10th 9-11am Weeding Bees. At the Burlington Community Tree Nursery, 65 Green Mountain Dr. So. Burlington

September: Entries for the Burlington Awesome Tree Contest are accepted all month. Check their website for detials.

For details, visit www.branchoutburlington.org

Contact: Warren Spinner, 862-8245, wspinner@ci.burlington.vt.us

Margaret Skinner, 656-5440, mskinner@uvm.edu

Consider an Americorps National Civilian Community Corps year!

AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women age 18–24. Members are assigned to one of five campuses, located in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Perry Point, Maryland; Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Vinton, Iowa.

The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based, local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national or state parks, Indian Tribes and schools members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned.

Drawn from the successful models of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, AmeriCorps NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens and that national service programs work effectively with local communities to address pressing needs.

There are more NCCC opportunities than ever before. Last year, CNCS and FEMA launched an innovative partnership, and implemented FEMA Corps--a track of 1,600 additional NCCC members solely devoted to working with FEMA on disaster response and recovery.
So now, in addition to NCCC’s traditional corps member and team leader opportunities, we are also seeking qualified corps members and team leaders to serve in NCCC’s FEMA Corps.  

The next recruitment deadline for NCCC and FEMA Corps--for team leader and corps member positions--is April 1st.  Visit http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/nccc.asp for more information!

Elise Schadler, an alum of Americorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) would be more than happy to answer questions you may have about the program (elise.schadler@uvm.edu)! 

 

 

Jobs for Social Change - Start Your Non-Profit Career with the Fund for the Public Interest

Are you a graduating senior? Start your non-profit career with the Fund for the Public Interest! We're currently hiring graduating seniors to run our grassroots campaign offices across the country as Citizen Outreach Directors.

The Fund for the Public Interest is a national non-profit organization that runs grassroots campaigns for some of the nation's leading environmental and progressive non-profits. For over 30 years, our organization has enabled over 40 organizations to pass tougher legislation against air pollution, forest clear-cutting, hate crimes, and special interest money in politics, among other issues. 

Current issues we are tackling with Environment America include: working to bring 50,000 new solar roofs to Massachusetts over the next five years; working to ban or end natural gas drilling (i.e. fracking) from states across the country; and protecting Oregon's Crater Lake National Park from clear cutting by working to get it designated as a federal wilderness area. Recent victories include giving Environment America the public backing necessary to convince the Obama Administration to release the first-ever nation-wide standards for mercury pollution from nuclear power plants.

Citizen Outreach Directors run one of over 60 regional campaign offices across the country and are responsible for organizing membership building and grassroots campaigns for any one of our partner organizations, such as Environment America, the Human Rights Campaign and USPIRG. We’re looking for smart, socially conscious graduating seniors who work well in a team and are eager to make a real impact on some of the most critical issues facing our society. If you are looking for a position that provides real immediate responsibilities and the opportunity to make an immediate impact towards social change, apply today at www.FundJobs.org 

Find out more at our information session on 

Monday March 18th at 6pm in the

Davis Center rm 413 Chittenden Bank Room. 

Interviews will be held on Tuesday March 19^th in the

Living and Learning Center E-170.

If you're interested in applying, contact me via email at: ekim@fundstaff.org or by phone at: (201)-403-6021. I’m looking forward to speaking with you about our career opportunities! 

Intervale Conservation Nursery needs volunteers!

Calling All Volunteers!

The greenhouse is clean...

The heat is on...

It's planting time!

We've got more than 10,000 trees to start in our greenhouse and we'd love your help!

• Thanks to an AMAZING crew that helped out last Saturday, it's time to plant in our warm and cozy greenhouse.
• Volunteers are welcome Monday-Friday from 9-5 and Saturday, March 9th. You can sign up for full day or just a few hours.
• Volunteer opportunities are ongoing. We'll always have a task for you!
• For those of you who love to be outside, we still need help collecting a few last cuttings as well. 

All volunteer hours count towards a City Market member worker discount!

To sign up contact seth@intervale.org or call 802.660.0440 x104