Volunteer

Title:                RiverWise Volunteer

Location:        Greater Richmond Region

To apply:        Contact Amy Hagerdon

                         ahagerdon@allianceforthebay.org    (804) 793-8786

General Information

The RiverWise Volunteer will be based in the greater Richmond area and will focus on promoting and conducting residential RiverWise stormwater assessments (stormwater education, outreach, and Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation). Alliance staff will train volunteers to conduct assessments.

Principal Activities

  • Conduct residential RiverWise stormwater assessments, including:
    • Contact the homeowner to set up assessment date and time
    • Conduct stormwater assessments to evaluate residential properties and educate homeowners
    • Recommend BMPs specific to each property through an assessment report.
    • Track and follow up with residential assessments.
    • Assist with review of homeowner BMP designs/plans

Outcomes/Goals

  • Gain a working knowledge of residential BMPs, native vs. invasive plants, and issues surrounding the Chesapeake Bay watershed and local water quality
  • Increase public knowledge of Virginia watershed issues and solutions and the Alliance’s work to address these challenges.

Qualifications

  • Possess a strong work and environmental ethic.
  • Good writing abilities and verbal communication skills.
  • Superb organizational skills and attention to detail.
  • Must have reliable transportation
  • No prior knowledge of residential BMPs is required

Work Schedule

Flexible volunteer work hours. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 5:00 pm. Assessments can take place during and after work hours, based on the availability of the volunteer.

Time Commitment

A minimum of one site visit per week or every two weeks (30 minutes – 1 hour) is expected for this position.

Supervision and Support Plan

The supervisor for this volunteer position is Amy Hagerdon. Volunteers will be paired with the supervisor or another volunteer at every RiverWise property assessment.

Volunteer Benefits

  • Opportunity to learn new skills in residential stormwater BMPs
  • Reference for employment or academic purposes, dependent on satisfactory performance
  • Opportunity to make profession contacts in a regional organization
  • Opportunity to contribute toward the mission of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

Start and End Dates

Volunteers are accepted on a rolling basis.

Verification