Volunteers

Floracliff volunteers participate in a variety of mostly-outdoor projects. Stewardship projects generally involve physical work and volunteers find this time in nature to be both good exercise and stress-relieving. By visiting Floracliff most weeks throughout the year, our dedicated volunteers come to know the unique features of the sanctuary, and experience them through all seasons.

Honeysuckle Removal

Bush honeysuckle season lasts from summer to late winter, as long as the temperatures are above freezing. Honeysuckle is cut using loppers or a handsaw (hours of fumes and noise from a chainsaw is hardly peaceful in an otherwise serene sanctuary). A licensed pesticide applicator applies herbicide to the freshly cut stump. Dedicated volunteers who wish to obtain this license are sponsored by Floracliff.

Garlic Mustard Removal

With spring comes garlic mustard, a major competitor to our showy native spring wildflowers. Volunteers help to control this herbaceous invasive by hand-pulling and bagging plants, roots and all. Pulling garlic mustard allows volunteers to get a close-up view of the wildflower display as it comes into bloom.

Trail Work

Over 6 miles of trails traverse the sanctuary and are important for educational programs, stewardship work, and research projects. Led by a (volunteer) Certified Master Trail Builder, trail crew volunteers use trail-building tools such as fire rakes and mattocks to improve existing trails. Another perk to trail work: hiking is required.

Volunteer Naturalists

Whether they are professionals in their field or skilled hobbyists, we depend upon volunteers to lead and assist with many educational programs. Floracliff Volunteer Naturalists are active supporters who have demonstrated a personal commitment to learning about and sharing the sanctuary with our visitors.

Demonstration Gardens

Our educational gardens offer a close-up view of native plants of the sanctuary. Our glade garden showcases a number of unusual plants from Floracliff including eastern prickly pear cactus (Opuntia humifusa), widow’s cross (Sedum pulchellum), and the state threatened species hispid false mallow (Malvastrum hispidum). Around the historic Trail’s End Lodge we are planning a bird-friendly garden. We are currently seeking volunteers with an interest in maintaining native gardens.

Citizen Science

We count on our volunteer Citizen Scientists who participate in stream sampling, monarch monitoring, bird count, and phenology projects. Learn more about our citizen science projects here.