Volunteer

Volunteer with Us:

Are you passionate about nature, conservation and making a positive impact in your community? Join our community of outstanding volunteers at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary.

How to apply:

To get involved in the opportunities featured on this page, please complete our online volunteer application form (URL embedded). If you have any questions, please email our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteer@swanlake.bc.ca

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion:

The Sanctuary is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. We centre human dignity and growing our connections to each other and to our environment. We believe that each of us is responsible for addressing discrimination and that we co-create peace and good relationships.

Volunteer Opportunities

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Education Assistants: Fully Subscribed

This program is fully subscribed. We are taking a short waitlist for Spring 2025 programming. Education assistant volunteers provide vital program and classroom assistance to the Sanctuary’s junior steward and school programs.

They function in a variety of roles including assistance in classroom management and program delivery, while helping create an engaging, safe and welcoming environment.
Program topics include Garry Oak Ecosystems, Wetlands and Watersheds, Owls, Reptiles and Pollinators.
This role has direct interaction with children and vulnerable populations: a CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK is required.

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Nature Ambassadors

Swan Lake Nature Ambassadors (SNAP) provide important visitor experience and monitoring support,including:

  • Walking Swan Lake and Christmas Hill trails and welcoming visitors while offering educational information
  • Monitoring and reporting any safety concerns to staff
  • Tracking the number of visitors and various types of visitor interactions
  • Sharing experiences and ideas to improve the visitor and volunteer experience

SNAP observations are a critical part of our site evaluation that is written into our Environment and Climate Change Canada grant 'Rare Species Recovery in an Urban Greenspace through Community Stewardship.'

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Nature House Visitor Services

Use your office skills for Nature. You will be the first point of contact for visitors welcoming folks to the Nature House, assisting with gift shop sales, and administrative duties.

Join our administrative team to share your skills, connect with the community and learn more about nature.

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Board Members

The Nature Sanctuary Society’s Board of Directors follows leading governance practices and supports our Executive Director and staff members to meet our mission to:  Conserve and restore Nature Sanctuary lands and waters while inspiring stewardship through community engagement and collaboration.

 To learn more about our organization, our mission, vision and values, visit our website at www.swanlake.bc.ca
We are currently seeking people who are collaborative, visionary and strategic to join our dedicated team of volunteer Board of Directors. If you have a strong interest in environmental conservation with skills and experience in the areas of non-profit governance, capital asset planning and management, community development or fundraising, we would love to hear from you.
Time commitment is approximately 8-12 hours/month for board and committee meetings, related tasks and attendance at community and special events at the Nature Sanctuary.   Applicants must reside within the boundaries of the Capital Regional District (CRD).
Kindly complete the Expression of Interest Application Form (URL embedded) and forward to Lynn Young, Governance Chair at lyoung [@] swanlake.bc.ca
Application deadline: Open until filled

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Ecosystem Restoration

Tuesday or Saturday Restoration Crew
Join this fun and friendly environmental restoration program to remove invasive plant species and act as land stewards at the Nature Sanctuary. Restoration volunteers work as a team to remove invasive species, improve trail quality, and protect the ecosystems at Swan Lake and Christmas Hill. Tea, coffee and cookies provided. Tuesdays: 9-11am or Saturdays 9-11am.

Adopt A Patch
In this program, volunteer groups rehabilitate a designated plot of land at the Nature Sanctuary that they steward over time. This program is ideal for families, schools, organizations, or other community service groups as a team building, learning and restoration activity.  Contact info@swanlake.bc.ca for more info.

Custom Group Restoration Projects
Make tangible impact on the environment while fostering team spirit and social responsibility. Custom group restoration projects offer community and business organizations a unique chance to engage in meaningful single day restoration projects.

This individualized program is a pay for fee service. Please contact info@swanlake.bc.ca for more information.

 

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Seed Sowers

Seed Sower volunteers cultivate native plants at their home gardens and deliver them back to site for restoration projects as well as for sale in the Sanctuary’s annual Native Plant Sale Fundraiser. This is wonderful opportunity to join a community of native plant enthusiasts and support local biodiversity projects.

  • Program training provided by Sanctuary Site team 
  • Soil, containers, seedlings/cuttings provided as needed 

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Cookie Bakers

Cookie Baker volunteers provide homemade treats for Nature Sanctuary restoration and plant sale volunteers. You can help by cooking up delicious treats at home and dropping them off at the Nature House to be shared with hungry and happy volunteers. In-kind tax receipts are available.

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Photographers

Share your gift of photography by capturing special events, activities, and nature images throughout the seasons.

Your photos will help us raise awareness of community programs and connect people to Sanctuary lands and waters.

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Community Events

Community Event volunteers play a key role in supporting education and outreach events, including the Sanctuary's annual native plant sale.

Responsibilities include registration, setup, takedown, and co-hosting activities, all while contributing to an engaging, safe, and welcoming environment.

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volunteer-animal-care-assistants

Animal Care Assistants: Fully Subscribed

This program is fully subscribed: no positions are available at this time. Animal care volunteers assist Education Team staff in caring for the display invertebrates and reptiles who live in the Nature House. This role has direct interaction with vulnerable populations: a CRIMINAL RECORD CHECK is required. We are currently recruiting for a Saturday volunteer to cover a 1.5h shift.

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Why Volunteer?

By volunteering with us, you are contributing to our mission of conserving Nature Sanctuary lands and waters and inspiring stewardship through community engagement and collaboration. 

  • Connect with community: Join a diverse community of volunteers and staff that share your passion for nature and the environment 
  • Support education: Assist in delivering hands-on environmental education programs that inspire connection and responsibility to the natural world 
  • Preserve and restore natural areas: Contribute to conserving and restoring Nature Sanctuary lands and waters
  • Foster community engagement: Support community partnerships and visitor experience by contributing to a welcoming and accessible urban greenspace 
  • Fulfill school requirements: Students gain hands-on experience while fulfilling volunteer hour requirements 

Current Volunteers

Hours offered as in-kind are an enormous contribution each year.

In 2022, our volunteer value was $154, 404 – representing 7, 720 volunteer hours.

Volunteers in Action