New Hampshire Sea Grant works closely with local and regional partners as part of our mission to serve coastal communities in New Hampshire. We encourage our stakeholders and supporters to get involved and volunteer with our partner organizations throughout the Granite State. Volunteer opportunities with our partners include:
Blue Ocean Society
The Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conservation holds frequent beach cleanups at Jenness State Beach in Rye, NH and other beaches in the Seacoast. Data on the type and amount of debris is recorded and sent to the Ocean Conservancy as part of the National Marine Debris Monitoring Program. The data helps track the types of debris appearing on the beach throughout the year. Each cleanup starts with a Blue Ocean Society staff member presentation on the program, data collection and research efforts, and how collecting debris will help the environment. All supplies are provided through NH Coastal Program funding, including latex gloves, trash bags, data cards, pencils, clipboards, drinks and snacks. Cleanups usually take 1-2 hours.
Blue Ocean Society partners with NH Sea Grant to study microplastic pollution at beaches in New Hampshire.
For more information about volunteering with Blue Ocean Society, visit their volunteer webpage.
Great Bay Discovery Center
The Great Bay Discovery Center (formerly called Sandy Point Discovery Center) is an environmental interpretation and education facility within the Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR), which is part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) system.
Gundalow Company
A variety of volunteer opportunities are available as the replica gundalow Piscataqua moves throughout the Piscataqua River watershed/region, providing a on-the-water platform for educational programs. If you enjoy working outdoors in beautiful riverfront locations, check out this volunteer opportunity!
Volunteers with The Gundalow Company work as interpreters, greeters, educators, skippers, and deck hands. Time with the gundalow is not limited to the summer months, as they also need year-round help researching history, teaching students, and developing programs. Volunteer for the Gundalow Company onboard, in the boat yard, or in the classroom.
For more information, visit the The Gundalow Company's volunteer webpage.
Nature Groupie
Nature Groupie empowers outdoor enthusiasts to volunteer for nature in New England! They make it easy to identify local volunteer opportunities via their extensive Nature Groupie Event Calendar. Over 200 organizations in New England post outdoor volunteer opportunities on Nature Groupie's calendar.
Nature Groupie started as a collaborative project between UNH Cooperative Extension and The Stewardship Network in the Great Lakes region. Formerly “The Stewardship Network: New England” they recently rebranded to Nature Groupie to capture the energy, connection, and spirit of volunteering for nature of their New England network.
For more information about volunteer opportunities posted by Nature Groupie, visit their Events Calendar.
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire
The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire actively recruits volunteers to fill positions in several areas. Do you love exploring one of New Hampshire's many preserves on a regular basis? Do you want to help protect and care for the nature preserve in your community? Joining TNC'S team of volunteers to support the stewardship and maintenance of land in the Granite State.
To get started, fill out TNC's Volunteer Information Form so that they can learn more about you and where you would like to volunteer. Questions? Contact TNC's Northern New Hampshire Land Steward, Mike Crawford, via email mcrawford@tnc.org or call (603) 356-8833.
One particular project of note is TNC's Oyster Conservationist Volunteer Program. NH Sea Grant and UNH work with TNC oyster conservationists and volunteers to raise and count oysters in order to rebuild historic oyster reefs in New Hampshire.
Seacoast Science Center
The Seacoast Science Center offers a variety of year-round, family-friendly educational programs for visitors, school groups, and camp groups designed to provide informative and entertaining insights into New Hampshire's coastal environments and history.
The center, located at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye, NH, has several distinct coastal habitats represented in its exhibits. Volunteers work as educators, as exhibit room facilitators, in reception, and in planning events. Volunteer training sessions take place each year, typically in March and April.
For more information about volunteering at the Seacoast Science Center, visit their volunteer webpage or contact their Volunteer Coordinator, Laura Bahl via email l.bahl@sscnh.org or phone (603) 436-8043 ext. 21.
