Photo courtesy of Chesapeake Bay Program

Volunteer

Join the Alliance as a Volunteer!

Volunteering is a great way to take action and get involved in the Alliance’s critical work to restore and protect the Bay and its watershed lands, creeks, rivers and streams. Our volunteers are at the heart and soul of our mission to lead and inspire those who live and work throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed to become true environmental stewards.

Help out at a Project Clean Stream cleanup site, collect local water quality samples, organize the planting of native trees in your community — as an Alliance volunteer you are our most important resource helping us to fulfill our mission to heal the lands and waters of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Did you know that a number of the trees we plant are grown by local volunteers? Join us for a behind-the-scenes look into how Wendy, a local volunteer, is making her impact.

Upcoming Volunteer Events

Tree Planting in Manheim – Replanting event

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Volunteer with us this fall and help us replace dead trees, ensuring the success of a young forest! Read More >

Tree Planting in Lancaster – Replanting event

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Volunteer with us this fall and help us replace dead trees, ensuring the success of a young forest! Read More >

Volunteer opportunity.

Tree Planting in Lancaster

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Come help us plant 190 trees to help our watershed! Read More >

Tree Planting in Millersville – Replanting event

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Volunteer with us this fall and help us replace dead trees, ensuring the success of a young forest! Read More >

Tree Planting in Gettysburg

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Come help us plant 600 trees to help our watershed! Read More >

Tree Planting in Quarryville – Replanting event

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Volunteer with us this fall and help us replace dead trees, ensuring the success of a young forest! Read More >

Volunteer opportunity.

Tree Planting in Dillsburg

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Come help us plant 170 trees to help our watershed! Read More >

Tree Planting in Dover – Replanting event

One of the best actions you can do to improve the health of the Bay is to plant trees. Volunteer with us this fall and help us replace dead trees, ensuring the success of a young forest! Read More >

Watershed-Wide Volunteer Opportunities

A person with long brown hairpulled back into a pony tail kneeling on a wooden dock reaching a gloved hand into water to collect a sample.

DC Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program

WHERE: DC

WHEN: 2 hours per week  |  May – September

WHO: Kid-friendly, individuals

WHAT TO EXPECT: required training, attention to detail, ability to travel (car, bike, metro) to sites, bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting

Learn More & Sign Up

A group of people bent over or kneeling to conduct garden maintenance.

Garden Maintenance Days

WHERE: VA

WHEN: 1-2 hour events

WHO: Kid-friendly, groups, individuals

WHAT TO EXPECT: kneeling, bending

Read About Garden Maintenance

A person wearing work gloves while they cut a small live stake with pruning shears.

Live Staking

WHERE: PA

WHEN: 3-4 hour events  |  Late February, Early March

WHO: Kid-friendly, groups, individuals

WHAT TO EXPECT: cutting, kneeling, bending, wet/cold conditions

Learn About Live Staking

A person wearing yellow rain boots walking across a small stream picking up trash.

Project Clean Stream

WHERE: PA  |  MD  |  DC  |  VA

WHEN: 1-2 hour events

WHO: Kid-friendly, groups, individuals

WHAT TO EXPECT: kneeling, bending, squatting, lifting

Explore Project Clean Stream

Two riparian ranger volunteers removing a bird net from the top of a tree tube.

Riparian Rangers

WHERE: PA

WHEN: 3-4 hours per month  |  March – October

WHO: Individuals

WHAT TO EXPECT: training provided (1 group training session and 1 one-on-one training on-site), travel to sites, kneeling, bending, hot/humid conditions

What is Riparian Rangers?

RiverTrends

WHERE: VA

WHEN: 2-4 hours per month  |  January – December

WHO: Individuals

WHAT TO EXPECT: training provided, attention to detail, ability to travel (car, bike, metro) to sites, bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting

Check Out RiverTrends

A close up of a flat of seedings.

Seed Collection, Germination, and Fostering

WHERE: PA

WHEN: At your convenience

WHO: Kid-friendly

WHAT TO EXPECT: volunteer from home, attention to detail, long-term care

Read About A Seedling Volunteer

Two people, one kneeling by a tree and one standing holding a stake pounder, talk at a volunteer tree planting event on a farm.

Tree Plantings

WHERE: PA  |  MD  |  VA

WHEN: 2-4 hour events  |  Spring, Fall

WHO: Kid-friendly, groups, individuals

WHAT TO EXPECT: digging, kneeling, bending, lifting, stretching

Find a Tree Planting

Over 230 volunteers planted 4k trees in 24 hours last April!

Last April, the Alliance hosted back-to-back tree plantings in a relay-style event to get 4000 trees in the ground over a 24-hour period. Known as “Treelay,” the event took place at numerous sites across the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and volunteers planted continuously for 24 hours straight. Our team will hold the next Treelay in 2025.

Learn More About Treelay

 

 

Interested in Volunteering?

Complete the form below to let the Alliance know you’re interested in volunteering. You will be added to the list and our team will email you when we have upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Name
Region

Questions

Have a question or want to sponsor a volunteer event?

Learn More