Volunteer Opportunities
At the NPCA we’re always looking for enthusiastic volunteers to help with our vital work enhancing the environment and educating the public about our precious natural resources. Whether you’re looking to get your hands dirty with plantings or pullings, educate children and adults about the environment, demonstrate your heritage trade skills or participate in wildlife surveys, there’s something for everyone in our list of volunteer opportunities!
2012 Volunteer Programs
Click here for the printable 2012 Volunteer Opportunities Guide 
Follow the Yellow Fish RoadTM
Paint your street yellow with the Yellow Fish Road™ Program. Book a painting kit and paint Yellow fish near the storm drains in your community! This will remind your community that whatever goes down a storm drain ends up with the fish.
Location: Throughout the Watershed
When: Year Round
Contact: Allison Graszat, 905.788.3135 ext. 245 or agraszat@npca.ca
Nature Exploration
Do you have the skills to lead a hike, teaching about nature, nature arts and want to volunteer your time imparting your knowledge to the public? We are looking for those who can share their expertise with the public through these kinds of activities. Enthusiasm, public service skills, ability to communicate a must, along with ability to encourage activities, existing tools of the trade and in-depth knowledge to impart.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: Any weekday between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Contact: Andrea Wilson, 905.562.5235 ext. 23 (Tues.-Sat.) or awilson@npca.ca
Hooked on Fish
Tell us your fish stories! Join the Angler Diary Program. We will give you a fish journal to keep track of the fish you catch throughout the year. Participants get a chance to win great prizes when the diary is returned to the NPCA in December. We are interested in anglers fishing the Welland River and Twelve Mile Creek Watersheds.
Location: Welland River and Twelve Mile Creek Areas
When: Fishing Season
Contact: Kerry Royer, 905.788.3135 ext. 233 or kroyer@npca.ca
Teach It
As a programming volunteer, you will assist staff in the implementation of programs for children between the ages of 6-11. Help with crafts, hikes, games and campfires. Must be patient and enjoy working with children.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: Weekends and weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Nature Interpreters
Lead groups on nature hikes throughout Ball’s Falls. Bring your enthusiasm, an ability to work with a variety of ages, and background knowledge about nature, the environment and geology. Tour scripts and training will be provided. Volunteers should be comfortable leading groups and ensure safety procedures are being followed.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Turtles, Turtles… Ya Ya Ya
Assist staff in administering interactive activities at the Centre, featuring our travelling exhibits over this year Child’s Play, Our Feathered Friends, Seeds in Disguise. Bring your enthusiasm, ability to work with all ages, public service skills to help with game playing and crafts storytelling, game playing, crafts and group tours & activities.
Location: Various sites throughout the Niagara Peninsula
When: March 1 to October 15 (Daily Check)
Contact: Kim Frohlich, 905.788.3135 ext 241 or kfrohlich@npca.ca
Crystals to Gems – Exhibit Volunteer
Are you a geologist, scientist or rock enthusiast and want to share your skills –then we are the place for you. In conjunction with the exhibit Crystals to Gems this spring we are looking for people to give hikes, talks, rock identification clinics, crystal activities (lapidary, faceting, jewellery, meaning, power). Things to Bring: enthusiasm and public service skills, ability to communicate, encourage activities , tools of the trade.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: Any weekday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Andrea Wilson, 905.562.5235 ext. 23 (Tues.-Sat.) or awilson@npca.ca
Can You Dig It?
Assist staff with stream-side plantings, planting native trees, shrubs and wildflowers in local areas.
Location: Various sites throughout the Niagara Watershed
When: May through September
Contact: Allison Graszat, 905.788.3135 ext. 245 or agraszat@npca.ca
Family Day Volunteer
This year’s theme is A Winter Day in 1812. Come and live it up like they did 200 years ago! Help with the campfire making bannock, show visitors how to write with a quill pen and do cross writing, paint a story of the war years in 1812, dress up, games activities and more. We need help to engage the public and do some evaluations as well. Bring: enthusiasm and public service skills, ability to communicate, encourage activities
Location: Balls Falls Conservation Area
When: Family Day, February 20, 2012, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Angela Wallace, 905.562.5235 ext. 22 or awallace@npca.ca
March Break Camp Volunteer
Help staff with camp activities including crafts, games, nature hikes, campfire and snowshoeing. Bring your enthusiasm, ability to work with children, willingness to help.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: March 12 to March 16, 2012, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (or part day)
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Spring Awakening
Lead a station during this ‘hands-on’ program for elementary school groups! Stations include: butter churning, bread baking, barn building, quilting or yarn dolls. Previous experience working with children required. Costume provided.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: May to June, any day, 2 hour sessions (flexible)
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Invasion of the Garlic Mustard
Assist in removing invasive garlic mustard from a natural area in Jordan. Learn how to identify garlic mustard, its effects and possible use. Hand pull and bag the plant to help the natural flowers and grass to grow.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: May 21, 2012, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Contact: Kim Frohlich, 905.788.3135 ext 241 or kfrohlich@npca.ca
Chorus Call Evening Marsh Monitoring Surveys
Survey the frogs and toads or marsh birds at several of the Conservation Areas. Three site visits required. Volunteers will learn and record the calls of these animals at set locations.
Location: Various NPCA Conservation Areas
When: March through June, 2012 – Evening Marsh Monitoring Surveys
Contact: Kim Frohlich, 905.788.3135 ext 241 or kfrohlich@npca.ca
Summer Camp Volunteer
Help staff with fun camp activities including crafts, games, campfires and nature hikes. Bring your enthusiasm,
ability to work with children, willingness to help.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: July 2 to August 31, 2012, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. or part day
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Heritage Interpreters
Do you have a historical skill you are willing to demonstrate? If you are a spinner, weaver, needlework artist, blacksmith, tinsmith or have a trade you would like to share with the public, come join our group of volunteers!
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: July 1 to September 3 and Special Events – Sundays 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Iroquois Beadwork Exhibit Volunteer
Are you a native artist or interested in Iroquois Beadwork. We are looking for volunteers to help make this exhibit come alive with beading workshops and activities. If you have skills to share in this area please let Andrea know and we can work together on a project. Bring your enthusiasm and public service skills, ability to communicate, encourage activities and tools of the trade.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: September 8 to November 5 , 2012, any weekday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Andrea Wilson, 905.562.5235 ext. 23 (Tues.-Sat.) or awilson@npca.ca
Niagara Children’s Water Festival 2012
Assist in site set up, and/or leading activities on water and environmental conservation in this fun and interactive setting. Come dressed for the weather as the event runs rain or shine. See list of roles below for more details.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: September 16 (Public Day) and September 18-21, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Contact: Beth Best at 905-892-5705 for details
Available Roles:
September 16th
| Parking Attendants | Help park vehicles, and/or be attendant at Wheelchair Accessible Lot |
September 18th to 21st
| Activity Presenters | Teach students at an Interactive Water Discovery Centre. Script provided ahead of time, with training. |
| Festival Guide | Welcome teachers/students each morning and assist in directing them to their first session of the day |
| Activity Timer | Keep the festival on time. With an air horn, watch and a second counterpart, signify activity change. |
| Information/Welcome Desk | Greet and check in volunteers, give activity centre totes, and answer questions or direct to people who can help them. |
| Security/Crossing Guard | Assist in crossing students in the morning, lunch and end of day, and information on school program time |
| Food Service Assistant | Assist in volunteer lunch set up, serve, and clean up each day |
| School Packages | Assist in preparing packages for each school daily |
Christmas in the Country
Assist with interpretation of Pioneer and Victorian Christmas celebrations in our interactive curriculum based education program for elementary schools. Previous experience working with children an asset. Costume provided.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: November – December, 2012, Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or half day
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Christmas with Santa
Be part of a magical family event! Santa needs helpers to make crafts, serve cookies and cider, play reindeer games and interpret the heritage buildings! Experience working with the public, ability to work independently and decision making skills required.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: December 1 and 2, 2012, 9:30 a.m. to 4: 15 p.m.
Contact: Angela Wallace 905-562-5235, ext. 22 awallace@npca.ca
Canada at Play Exhibit Volunteer
Play is a huge part of our lives and in Canada we have invented some amazing things to enjoy in every season. If you enjoy sharing the joy of play with others and want to host a game or two, show people how to use old fashioned toys, or invent toys then this will be a great place for you to share those skills. Bring your enthusiasm and public service skills and ability to communicate and encourage activities and play.
Location: Ball’s Falls Conservation Area
When: November 10, 2012 to March 15, 2013, any weekday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Contact: Andrea Wilson, 905.562.5235 ext. 23 (Tues.-Sat.) or awilson@npca.ca
