By Rob Katz
The Audubon Center is seeking new volunteers for the fall. Along with teacher naturalists, which the center relies on for its educational programming, the Audubon hopes to receive volunteers in the other areas of its operations, including shopkeeping, maintaining grounds and habitats, and computer communications.
According to senior naturalist and environmental education specialist Ted Gilman, volunteer teacher naturalists primarily instruct visiting school groups as well as aid with outreach to schools through programs or special events. The Audubon’s teacher naturalists teach thousands of children annually, whether the come through school groups or as general public visitors to public programs and hikes.
Throughout the summer months, many of the volunteer activities involve habitat maintenance, including planting native plants and maintaining demonstration gardens. Also, trails, bridges and boardwalks must be maintained.
“We have over 600 acres of sanctuary properties around town, all of which have trails,” Gilman said. “We have gardening and planting efforts, bridges and things. There are operations pretty much across the spectrum of our areas of activity in which volunteers can play a very important and very helpful role.”
A special volunteer open house is planned for Saturday, Sept. 9, during which prospective volunteers receive an overview of the various roles available.
One week after, volunteers will be involved with putting together the annual Hawk Watch Festival, which Gilman called Audubon Greenwich’s “biggest event of the year.” The festival, which celebrates the release of rehabilitated hawks and includes bird shows, group hikes and food, is set for Sept. 16 and 17.
Following the festival, the Audubon’s education staff will begin a full series of teacher naturalist volunteer training sessions planned for the second half of September.
During training, new trainees learn how to work with children in outdoor settings and nature centers and observe and experience guides as they’re leading school groups.
“[Teacher naturalists] might take the children down to study pond life at our teaching pond or they may be going out through our trails to insect-study or bird-study and do a series of activities and observations along the trail,” Gilman said.
Barbara Kavanagh, a teacher naturalist since 2008, emphasized the broad and open appeal of the position.
“When I first came, I knew nothing. I’m a psychologist. I didn’t know much about nature,” Kavanagh said. “The first thing to know is that teacher naturalists don’t need to know anything when they first come on. I knew nothing except that I like to walk.”
Another veteran teacher naturalist, Camille Broderick, began shortly after she moved to Greenwich with biology and horticultural degrees. Broderick, who has also run a Cub Scout pack in Greenwich over the last three years, initially balanced her volunteer work with the schedules of her children.
“My kids were in elementary school, I would teach through my morning hours when they were at school,” Broderick said.
Although she has been a volunteer for 17 years, Broderick continues to attend training sessions in the fall and spring.
“I basically know the ropes, but there’s always something to learn,” Broderick said. “Ted Gilman is amazing, not only his knowledge of natural history, but his tips on how to actually express nature and help people as they’re guided through the woods and the meadows of the Audubon to appreciate what they see.”
To Kavanagh, one of the greatest rewards of volunteering is helping introduce children to the outdoors.
“The best is when a kid will say ‘no way’ because they’re so astonished at what you’ve shown them,” Kavanagh said. “This is something you can’t get in the classroom. It really helps the kids be in touch with their natural environment and, who knows, sparks interest in future scientists.”
Along with the satisfaction of encouraging others to experience the natural world, Gilman underlined the welcoming atmosphere and sense of community offered to all volunteers, teachers or otherwise, at the Audubon.
“It’s becoming part of a teaching family and a larger Audubon Center family,” Gilman said. “It’s the joy of being with kids in the outdoors and being partners in the discovery process, but it’s also being part of a team, part of a family and there’s a good number of our folks who’ve been with us for anywhere near from five to 25 years.”
