A variety of volunteer opportunities await you at Barnstable Clean Water Coalition. Whether you are a college student, a recent retiree, or a full-time worker, your skills, knowledge and time will be utilized to their fullest. We welcome volunteers who have a positive attitude, lots of energy and a passion for the local waters and lands that surround them.

Volunteer opportunities we offer include:

River Herring Counter (April - June)

• Monitor herring passing up the Mill and Middle Pond Fish Ladders in Marstons Mills and the Boat Cove Creek fish ladder in West Barnstable
• Herring are counted daily from April 1^st thru early June, between 7am and 7pm, at each fish ladders.
• Requires time commitment of 10-minutes per day.
• Self-schedule on computer through Volgistics calendar
• Work outside in all elements, no prior experience needed
• Training session in March

SMAST Water Quality Sampler (June - Aug)

• Location: West, North, and Cotuit Bays
• Time: 5:30 am – 10 am, four sampling days held from late June through mid-August
• Sampling takes place from boat, canoe and two land sites
• Requires time commitment of 2-3 hours per sampling day
• No prior water sampling experience needed
• Mandatory training session in May

MIMIC Monitor (June - Sept)

• Monitor for marine invasive species at six locations throughout Barnstable for the MIMIC (Marine Invader Monitoring and Information Collaborative) program of Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management.
• Collect data from docks in Cotuit, Osterville, Barnstable, Hyannis and on Dead Neck Sampson's Island
• Requires time commitment of three to four hours per monitoring day
• Work outside in all elements
• No prior experience needed, all equipment provided
• Training session in June

Oyster Upweller Assistant (July - Sept)

• Location: Gateway Marina, behind Cape Cod Maritime Museum, Hyannis
• Assist with maintenance of oyster upweller tank and educate public on oysters and water quality
• Requires time commitment of three to four hours per day.
• Daily shifts available
• Work outside in sun, shade available
• No prior experience needed, all equipment provided
• On the job training provided

PALS Sampler (Aug - Sept)

• Location: Ponds in Cotuit, Marstons Mills, Osterville, Centerville, Barnstable, Hyannis
• Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, dates TBD, August 15^th thru September 15^th
• Pond and Lake Stewardship (PALS) involves sampling 31 ponds throughout the town of Barnstable
• Collect water samples and associated data from kayak and shoreline
• Requires time commitment of five to six hours per sampling day
• Sampling occurs in all weather conditions
• No prior water sampling experience needed, must be able to access pond sites and carry kayaks and equipment
• On the job training provided

Streamflow Monitor (year round)

• Location: Marstons Mills River
• Time: 8:30 am – 3:30 pm, weekly
• Sample at 10 different stations along the river
• Physically demanding: walk in river with waders and equipment, climb up and down embankments and through woods to access sampling sites, interact with public on occasion
• Operate under tight schedule- must be finished by 3:00pm in order to deliver samples to Barnstable County Health Laboratory in Barnstable village
• Requires time commitment of six hours per sampling day
• On the job training provided

Native New England Garden Caretaker (April - Sept)

• Location: Native New England Gardens in front of BCWC Office
• Make your own schedule
• Help weed and maintain the two native New England plant demonstration gardens
• On the job training provided

Outreach and Fundraising Events (year round)

• Help with various assignments at events (click here to see the list of upcoming events)
• Engage with public, educate on BCWC's work
• Help with event setup/breakdown as needed
• Time commitment varies per event
• On the job training provided