There are tons of great opportunities to get involved with the VASWCD. Soil and Water Conservation District Directors themselves are volunteers driving conservation at the local level. The VASWCD relies on that same passion for volunteerism to further our mission. There are many opportunities to become involved including those below.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Serve as a resource or coach for a high school Envirothon team.
- Assist during an Envirothon competition as an team chaperone, oral presentation judge, test grader, test writer or many other critical jobs.
- Volunteer as a Youth Conservation Camp counselor to high school students participating in our week long Virginia Tech hands-on conservation program each summer.
- Serve as a resource or provide an activity during our Youth Conservation Camp program or other annual education workshops.
- Provide office assistance supporting the preparation of an event, creation of education materials or other VASWCD needs.
- Reach out to your local legislators and community leaders to share the work of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, educate about the importance of conservation and SWCD programs.
- Serve on a VASWCD committee focusing on agricultural issues, urban topics, educational projects, IT needs, forestry work or public relations and marketing outreach.
Other great volunteer opportunities are available!
Internship Opportunity
Are you an undergraduate or graduate student looking for resume and network growth experiences? Do you have interest in conservation, natural resources, education, or government relations work? The Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD) has internship opportunities for a variety of projects to support the coordination of conservation efforts statewide. The VASWCD is a nonprofit organization affiliated with 47 local soil and water conservation districts across the Commonwealth, working to reduce nonpoint source pollution, install best management practices, and provide environmental education opportunities to youth.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Summer interns will ideally be called for interviews in April. Schedule start date, end date, and work environment are flexible. Internships are unpaid; arrangements can be made for students to receive volunteer service hours or education credits. Prospective interns should contact Kendall Tyree, Ph.D., Executive Director at kendall.tyree@vaswcd.org with a resume, cover letter, and answers to the following questions:
- How did you hear about this internship?
- Why are you interested in in this internship?