HELENA — “We have, right now on staff we have probably five core volunteers that have been with us for five years, but we're seeing more and more groups wanting to come here so we’re looking to get more volunteers,” said Fish, Wildlife and Parks' (FWP) Education Bureau Chief Laurie Wolf.
That is a good kind of problem to have in a way. Because it means we are getting back to normal across the state. As that happens, programs like the one’s FWP hold at Montana WILD in Helena and all across the state are back up and running. With an increased interest in our outdoors, they will need more volunteers to help
“What we look for here at Montana WILD, particularly if it’s leading programs is a commitment beyond the summer, because it takes quite a bit just to get people trained," said Wolf. "We have extensive training that we put people through. To a degree on a smaller scale, they learn to be more of an interpretive guide and then we have them shadowing school groups to really get familiar with what we do here and see what their interests are what they are interested in volunteering in and potentially leading and teaching kids about.”
And you don’t need to be a wildlife expert to help out. The main requirement is a love of education and the outdoors.
“I think that at the baseline you just need to be, obviously, comfortable with getting up in front of groups," added Wolf. "But really, we do a lot of training here so if there is a passion for fish and wildlife or conservation or outdoor recreation, if you’re comfortable getting up in front of groups then we can work with you and get you trained. Not a huge skill set needed there, but definitely comfortable with public speaking.”
More information about volunteer opportunities with FWP can be found here.
