Volunteer opportunities in New York l Volunteer Opportunities in Connecticut

Audubon Society (throughout NY)
Attend Audubon field trips and events and help conduct bird counts throughout Long Island. Find an Audubon Center near you or contact your local chapter for more volunteer opportunities: Huntington Chapter, Four Harbors Chapter, NYC Chapter.

Alley Pond Environmental Center (Douglaston, NY)
Help with the Center’s animal care, outside work, educational programs and special events. Field Biology internships are also available for high school students! Click or call (718) 229-4000.

Alewife Spawning Survey (throughout Long Island)
Volunteers look for alewives (a species of river herring) in streams within their community during the months of April and May. No experience is necessary! Volunteers will be trained during workshops held in mid-March. Click or call (631) 626-1269.

American Littoral Society (throughout NY)
Come clean the beaches of Long Island Sound during the Annual International Beach Clean-up Day in September. They also have a fish tagging program- you can tag fish for their survey! Click above for more information.

Bayside Anglers Group Ltd. (Bayside, NY)
Every spring Bayside Anglers Group host the "Little Neck Bay Beach Clean-up" a shoreline clean-up of the Bayside, NY waterfront. We encourage everyone from every community to pitch in and help us keep the Long Island Sound as clean as possible. Click or call (917) 439-3022.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment (throughout NY)
CCE’s primary goal is to empower individual citizens to have a stronger voice and greater influence in the development and implementation of public policies affecting our water, land, and air in the New York and Connecticut region. Click above for more information.

Coastal Steward (Port Jefferson, NY)
Volunteers can participate with the Shellfish Restoration Project. You will help to grow of the shellfish seed and place them into protected sanctuaries. Also, participate in the Adopt-A-Beach or Sponsor-A-Beach programs. Click or call (516) 946-6560.

Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium (Cold Spring Harbor, NY)
Volunteers can assist with animal care or help with fishing and other special events. Click or call (516) 692-6768.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County (Huntington, NY)
Volunteers assist with water quality monitoring in the Huntington-Northport Bay Complex. All volunteers must attend a free training on water quality monitoring and monitoring techniques in order to participate in Water Logging. Click or call (631) 239-1800 ext. 21.

Coastal research and Education Society of Long Island (CRESLI) (Oakdale, NY)
Volunteers are trained to assist with whale watch trips to spot animals and record data. Volunteers also help with seal observation trips, such as seal walks and cruises. Click or call (631) 244-3352.

Friends of Flax Pond (Setauket, NY)
Join Friends of Flax Pond and help collect data on diamondback terrapins or horseshoe crabs! Click or call (631) 941-9404.

Friends of the Bay (Oyster Bay, NY)
Become a water quality monitoring volunteer or help with other efforts to preserve and protect the waters of the Oyster Bay-Cold Spring Harbor estuary. Click or call (516) 922-6666.

Garvies Point Museum and Preserve (Glen Cove, NY)
Volunteers help with the preserve’s outdoor education program, invasive plant removal, maintaining the butterfly gardens, or with other work around the preserve. Click or call (516)571-8010.

Greenburgh Nature Center (Greenburgh, NY)
Volunteers can help care for the live animals, maintain the museum or greenhouse, or help in the hands-on discovery room. Click or call (914) 723-3470.

Horseshoe Crab Spawning Survey
Sample and tag horseshoe crabs along New York’s coast during spring spawning surveys.

Cornell Cooperative Extension (throughout NY)

Project Limulus (north shore Long Island)

Keep Manhasset Beautiful (Manhasset, NY)
Help keep Manhasset beautiful by volunteering to clean up litter, plant trees and flowers, or increasing community awareness about these issues. Click or call (917) 991-2710.

Long Island Seaport & Eco Center (LISEC) (Port Jefferson, NY)
LISEC needs volunteers to do beach clean-ups, shellfish restoration, and to help with marine education and geology programs. We also need people with carpentry skills to work with our wooden boat building program. Click or call (631) 474-4725.

Long Island Volunteer Center (throughout NY)
Volunteers can search this database to find 100s of opportunities throughout Nassau & Suffolk counties. Click or call (516) 564-5482.

Long Island Water Sentinels (Suffolk and Nassau Counties)
Volunteers are needed to test waterways on a regular basis for baseline data monitoring. Test kits and training are provided. Children are welcome with responsible adult supervision. Click or call (631) 560-0055

Nassau County Parks, Recreation and Museums (throughout NY)
Volunteers are needed in preserves and museums throughout Nassau County. Click above to find volunteer opportunities near you!

New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (throughout NY)
There are 20 state parks and historic sites throughout Long Island. Click above to get contact information for the park closest to you!

Riverhead Foundation (Riverhead, NY)
Volunteers can teach the public about the Foundation’s work and what to do when they see a marine mammal or sea turtle in New York waters, assist with beach patrols to look for cold-stunned turtles, or join the rescue team to help injured marine life. Click or call (631) 369-9840.

Rye Nature Center (Rye, NY)
Volunteers assist Center staff with programs, grounds maintenance, administrative tasks, and special events. The Center also provides internships and community service opportunities for students from local schools. Click or call (914) 967-5150.

Sierra Club of Long Island (throughout NY)
Volunteers help with lobbying actions, paperwork, writing articles and materials for fliers, computer work (data entry and updates), beach cleanups, managing events, assisting at tablings, doing educational presentations, being a committee chair, and many more. Click or call (631) 689-1568.

Sweetbriar Nature Center (Smithtown, NY)
Assist with the Nature Center’s summer camp, animal care, butterfly house, wildlife rehabilitation, and special events. Click or call (631) 979-6344

Southold Protection in Aquaculture Training (SPAT) (Southold, NY)
Volunteers help to maintain their shellfish hatchery and gardens, with boatbuilding, and assist at the aquaculture facility which grows clams oysters and scallops. Click or call (631) 852-8660, extension 34.

The Nature Conservancy (throughout NY)
The Nature Conservancy offers many volunteer opportunities throughout New York! Help remove invasive plant species, monitor the endangered piping plover, or with office work. Click above for more info.

Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center (Oyster Bay, NY)
Volunteer opportunities range from scientific research (bird banding, dragonfly census, and plant identification) to teaching environmental programs about Long Island Sound. Stewardship of sensitive areas is also needed to further protect wildlife and their habitats.
Click or call (516) 922-3200.

Volunteers for Wildlife (Huntington NY)
Volunteers have the opportunity to help care for injured native wildlife in the rehabilitation hospital or help the education department with events and education programs. Click or call (631) 423-0982.

Westchester County Volunteer Webpage (throughout Westchester County, NY)
Find an exciting volunteer opportunity near you on Westchester County’s Volunteer webpage. Click the link above.

Wildlife Conservation Society (throughout NYC)
Volunteer at the Bronx, Central Park, Queens, or Prospect Park Zoos or the NY Aquarium. Click or call (718) 220-5100. Back to top

Volunteer opportunities in Connecticut l Volunteer opportunities in New York

Audubon Society (throughout CT)
Help the Audubon with bird surveys, mailings, science programs, and other projects. Find volunteer opportunities with the Connecticut Audubon Society or Audubon Connecticut, and at nature centers throughout the state. Click above for more info.

Citizens Campaign for the Environment (throughout CT)
CCE’s primary goal is to empower individual citizens to have a stronger voice and greater influence in the development and implementation of public policies affecting our water, land, and air in the Connecticut region. Click above for more info.

Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) (throughout CT)
Help the Connecticut DEP by volunteering at state parks, conducting wildlife surveys throughout Connecticut, and much more. Click above for more information.

Connecticut Aquatic Resourced Education (CARE) Program (throughout CT)
Volunteers participate in a free training day and then teach Family
Fishing courses in their hometowns. Courses are usually run in partnership with town/city recreation departments and DEP provides all the equipment necessary. Our Water, Fish and Fishing curriculum is supported by fishing tackle, fish pictures, display materials and student booklets. Click or call (860) 424-FISH.

Connecticut Forest & Park Association (Rockfall, CT)
Volunteers cut brush, build water bars, blaze, and maintain the 825 mile long Blue-Blazed Hiking Trail System with other CFPA volunteers, or join our volunteer special events committee. Click or call (860) 346-2372.

Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center (Mystic, CT)
Volunteers help in all facets of our operations including education, clerical, special events, animal care, and maintenance. If you are looking for a one-time, short-term or long-term volunteer arrangement, you may find volunteering at DPNC is a rewarding experience. Click or call (860) 536-1216.

Earthplace-The Nature Discovery Center (Westport, CT)
Assist Earthplace staff members with their Harbor Watch/River Watch water quality monitoring program. Click or call 203-227-7253.

Flanders Nature Center and Land Trust (Woodbury, CT)
Become a volunteer and join a unique group of people dedicated to improving the quality of life through education, recreation, preservation, and participation! Click or call 203-263-3711 ext. 10.

Maritime Aquarium (Norwalk, CT)
Volunteers work at Aquarium exhibits, interpreting displays, and welcoming, orienting and educating visitors. Volunteers also staff the seal pool, Touch Tank, Ray Touch Pool, and Open Ocean exhibit. Click above for more information.

Mystic Aquarium (Mystic, CT)
After an initial training, volunteers assist with exhibit education, classroom assistance, the stranding team, and husbandry in animal care areas. Click or call (860) 572-5955.

The Nature Conservancy (throughout CT)
The Nature Conservancy offers many volunteer opportunities throughout Connecticut! Monitor stream health, help remove invasive plant species, or with office work. Click above for more information.

Northwest Park and Nature Center (Windsor, CT)
This nature center needs volunteers to assist with programs, help to maintain trails, gardening, beekeeping, and much more! Click or call 860-285-1886.

Norwalk River Watershed Association (throughout CT)
Volunteers are needed for trail maintenance and mapping, invasive removal, spring cleanups, board positions, hike and program leaders, teaching elementary school children in a river study program, River Rangers, writers and graphic designers for publications, and more. Click or call (877) NRWA-INFO.

Project Limulus (throughout CT) 
Sample and tag horseshoe crabs along New York’s coast during spring spawning surveys. Click above for more information.

Save the Sound (throughout CT)
Join other volunteers to Long Island Sound clean beaches and build fish ladders to allow fish to migrate up rivers throughout Connecticut. Click or call (203) 787-0646.

SoundWaters, Inc. (Stamford, CT)
Volunteer act as greeters and receptionists, help with data entry and assist with aquaria and displays. Click or call (203) 406-3302.

Thames River Basin Partnership (Eastern CT)
The Poquetanuck Cove Preservation Committee of the Thames River Basin Partnership is seeking volunteers to assist with summer plant community monitoring at Poquetanuck Cove, located between Preston and Ledyard, CT. This monitoring is part of a multiyear Phragmites control project in Poquetanuck Cove, the best preserved tidal cove off of the Thames River. Training is free and all equipment is provided! Click or call (860) 928-4948.

The Last Green Valley (Northeast CT)
The Last Green Valley Water Quality Monitoring Program is seeking volunteers to assist with collecting water quality information through Stream Walk visual assessment and Rapid Bioassessment protocols in our local streams. Training is free and all equipment is provided! Click or call (860) 928-4948.

White Memorial Conservation (Litchfield, CT)
Volunteer to lead nature walks, teach programs on pond critters, or help care for the animals. Click or call (860) 567-0857. Back to top